Liverpool 2-3 Udinese: In game and Post Match Grimace

Saw plenty of positives in the match, our players took on the defenders and we tried to make those forward defense splitting passes which we haven't seen for a long long time. As a result mistakes were made and some were fatal, but that will make us better and sharper the next time, it's better than those side and back passes all night long that comes to nothing. 

I'm not too dissapointed with the result, we're still in transition and trying to change our style of play which we have been so accustomed to and we can expect results of such along the way. Give BR enough time and the players needed and he'll get it right. Glad to say i'm much happier to watch the way we play nowadays compared to before.

Next, I notice when we are in full throttle attacking the opponent, our players were too far away from their player nearest to our goal which give them time to counter attack. Get near to the player, close those space down and delay and distrupt their movement to give us enough time to track back to cover and we should be ok.

I think Wisdom and Robinson deserves  to start as some of our regular defenders have become too complacent and took things too casual of late and some made mistakes that they shouldn't have that has cost us.

The priority must be the Premier League so I do not mind the game yesterday and more by how we play. Particularly noteworthy is the work of Coates (despite the own goal) and Shelvey who did very well. Suarez had he played from the start would have won easily. Beat the Stoke is paramount! YNWA!.

(I'm new and this is my first post here, greetings to all from the other side of the Rio and I tolerate my bad English haha)

Saw plenty of positives in the match

How long have people been saying things like "there were plenty of positives" or "we had no luck". Can't help but feel that these sorts of reasons have been going on for too long for positives too be enough and poor luck to be a valid excuse for not getting the job done. People have been saying these same things since 08/09 when we "should" have won the title. These ready made excuses provide the club with an un-noticed negative attitude. When the team lose they should hold their hands up and admit they weren't good enough; only then will they start to improve...

Yep i know Di Natale has been impressive scoring goals , i just meant that one goal , first time boot ! 9 times out of 10 i reckon it would fly off target

No thats just our players that do that But i know what you mean its all about confidence for a striker and Di natale the way he just side footed into the top corner was sublime. Suarez should stop the ball dead before he shoots cos hes free-kicks are like unreal.

Was everybody thinking we should field weaker teams here and stronger times there at half-time?

Doubt it. A team that Rodgers believed could win was put out and for 45 minutes you can't tell me that it didn't look like it could. Personal errors and lack of concentration lost us that game not the selection. First half proved the side was able to do the job.


I know Gerrard shouldn't be immune from criticism but some people can jump on his back too quickly. To suggest he can't play the role he's been playing on the basis of 20 odd minutes playing higher than he has been seems a bit strange to me.

Allen had a poor 2nd half and Shelvey, besisde a 15 minute purple patch, was poor after his goal. Can they both not play in the roles they have been playing now?

Goal leakage aside the main concern for me is upfront. Want Borini to come good and know he may need time but after watching him live for the first time he looks a million miles from being the type of player we need and the one his price tag and Rodgers description of him suggested.

left it a long time before posting on here. The way I see  it, we are now scoring goals, which was our main problem previously. We are now conceding goals where as we were previously quite solid at the back. We are playing some great possesion footbal which is encouraging and good on the eye. Where we seem to be gtoing wrong is, in my opinion, we get on top of teams and get over confident. We get our midfield players pushing up and pressing the oposition when they have the ball, and consequently our back four push up in tandem. If we lose the ball when we are confidently pushing forward, like we did on two or three occasions with Johnson, and once with Gerrard, we are open to a quick counter. The most dissapointing action for me, was when Stevie layed a poor pass, straight to the oposition, who then sprung the counter, and Stevie just sauntered along 20 yds behind the play. He looked like the spoilt brat who thinks he's better than all the other kids, and he has to have the ball, while every one else has to do the graft. Seen it so many times in youth football, and not the first time i've raised the issue on here. I'm confident things will get better, we just need to sit back a little bit further so we are not vulnerable to that swift counter. A fine balance I know, as at the same time we don't want our back four, isolated from the midfield. When the game is analised, and Stevie see's how he failed to get back with any urgency, I'm sure it will be rectified. Jonson on the other hand, lost the ball and then chased the player in posesion right accross the park. When the ball then got move along and switched back, he was nowhere to be seen. Dragged out of position.  Chasing back and closing down are a must, but we must do it more controlled, and Stevie must just do it. He does it all right when someone else loses the ball, but seems embarassed to do so when he's lost it. As i said, only my opinion, I'm sure we'll come good and start climbing the prem soon. Just have to hope the players are learning from it all and the confidence stays high.  Would obviously like to see us progress in the europa, but not a overly worried.  Good training ground for the fringe players, lets prioritise the prem. Now on to Stoke.

The goals we concede is a clear issue and one Lucas may help with when fit. But the issue then is who do you drop for him?

The goals we concede is a clear issue and one Lucas may help with when fit. But the issue then is who do you drop for him?

My choice would be drop Sahin .Then rotate Sahin with Stevie G to keep  our skipper fresh in the latter stages of the season .

Thats what you get when you play a questionable team BR

Thats what you get when you play a questionable team BR

The questionable team was all over the Italians in the first half, the actual questionable decision was taking off Henderson for Gerrard!

Henderson and Allen were winning everything and covering the whole of the midfield and I still think we would of got a result or a draw had Jordan been left on the field.

I think that's the issue, we're saturated in central midfield but yet we still miss Lucas, either our midfielders cannot defend or Lucas is simply too good a beast! I think it's the second option and that Hendo is the only competent enough DM although it's not his natural position. I think Allen is more a box-to-box midfielder who tackles and intercepts well but I think  his role should be making the ball moving consistently a bit "a la" Lucas instead of getting the ball from defense to move it forward.

I think Lucas is exceptional for us because not only does he tackle like a beast, is a sentinel to our defense and is a good distributor, he was also the one getting the ball out of defense with his accurate passes. (remember last season before he was injured)
We need a Mascherano and an Alonso to replace Lucas, since he was doing two jobs at his Dm position, tackling and distributing the ball. I'm not overestimating his talent, he' s rarely good upfront but his work in front of our back 4 is astronomic.  I mean we need 2 players one protecting the defense (mascherano) and one distributing the ball FROM the defense (Alonso).

I think the partnership which can replace Lucas and be effective enough in terms of creation is Allen- Hendo and Gerrard
but when fit it should be Lucas-Sahin
with Gerrard or Shelvey as AM

I think that's the issue, we're saturated in central midfield but yet we still miss Lucas, either our midfielders cannot defend or Lucas is simply too good a beast! I think it's the second option and that Hendo is the only competent enough DM although it's not his natural position. I think Allen is more a box-to-box midfielder who tackles and intercepts well but I think  his role should be making the ball moving consistently a bit "a la" Lucas instead of getting the ball from defense to move it forward.

I think Lucas is exceptional for us because not only does he tackle like a beast, is a sentinel to our defense and is a good distributor, he was also the one getting the ball out of defense with his accurate passes. (remember last season before he was injured)
We need a Mascherano and an Alonso to replace Lucas, since he was doing two jobs at his Dm position, tackling and distributing the ball. I'm not overestimating his talent, he' s rarely good upfront but his work in front of our back 4 is astronomic.  I mean we need 2 players one protecting the defense (mascherano) and one distributing the ball FROM the defense (Alonso).

I think the partnership which can replace Lucas and be effective enough in terms of creation is Allen- Hendo and Gerrard
but when fit it should be Lucas-Sahin
with Gerrard or Shelvey as AM

I disagree. I don't think Allen should ever come off the pitch. When Lucas comes back there will be hard decisions to be made but I would like to see he and Allen playing together.

I disagree. I don't think Allen should ever come off the pitch. When Lucas comes back there will be hard decisions to be made but I would like to see he and Allen playing together.

Allen and Lucas are the future, and if we're going on form then the skipper is in danger of being dropped.

Allen and Lucas are the future, and if we're going on form then the skipper is in danger of being dropped.

I know it's been asked before but would we be able to use Gerrard in the front three as more of an attacker? Limit his fitness output and take advantage of his interplay with Luis which seems to be very good when he's able to push forward. That way we'd get Sahin, Lucas and Allen on the field together and Stevie could still play a key role?

I know it's been asked before but would we be able to use Gerrard in the front three as more of an attacker? Limit his fitness output and take advantage of his interplay with Luis which seems to be very good when he's able to push forward. That way we'd get Sahin, Lucas and Allen on the field together and Stevie could still play a key role?

I can't see it myself, simply because our forward players are expected to work at least as hard as the midfielders in closing down, chasing back etc and it would actually mean Gerrard had even more ground to cover.
I think he can still make things happen further up the field, but it would be at the expense of defensive duties, and not doing as much closing down and harrying the opposition.

The Allen Luas partnership is not what we need at the moment, unless Allen is a good playmaker like Sahin. I'd rather have Lucas(better than Allen IMO) and Sahin who brings more going forward. However if we resolve our scoring issues Allen and Lucas would be great but I'd prefer to have the creativity of Sahin. But at the moment we don't have Lucas.

The Allen Luas partnership is not what we need at the moment, unless Allen is a good playmaker like Sahin. I'd rather have Lucas(better than Allen IMO) and Sahin who brings more going forward. However if we resolve our scoring issues Allen and Lucas would be great but I'd prefer to have the creativity of Sahin. But at the moment we don't have Lucas.

Allen is being asked to play the role he is playing because Lucas is out. I think Allen could do plenty of playmaking were Brendan to cut him loose. Personally would like to see Gerrard more up front with the strikers and leave Sahin/Allen/Lucas in the mid-field or go with some type of 3-4-3 with Gerrard being the tip of the diamond.


                                                                                       Lucas
 
                                                            Allen                                             Sahin


                                                                                      Gerrard


                                                       Sterling                       Suarez                   Borini


I am stuck on the back 3 so I omitted it.

Allen is being asked to play the role he is playing because Lucas is out. I think Allen could do plenty of playmaking were Brendan to cut him loose. Personally would like to see Gerrard more up front with the strikers and leave Sahin/Allen/Lucas in the mid-field or go with some type of 3-4-3 with Gerrard being the tip of the diamond.


                                                                                       Lucas
 
                                                            Allen                                             Sahin


                                                                                      Gerrard


                                                       Sterling                       Suarez                   Borini


I am stuck on the back 3 so I omitted it.

Really mate?
I don't like the idea of 343 at all, and I can't see much width there.

Still, another option in a 343 might be to use Gerrard as a sweeper, and have wingbacks, but it would be pretty easy to break down.

Really mate?
I don't like the idea of 343 at all, and I can't see much width there.

Still, another option in a 343 might be to use Gerrard as a sweeper, and have wingbacks, but it would be pretty easy to break down.

I would just look at someway to get the best players on the pitch at the same time...Gerrard/Sahin/Allen/Lucas are 4 of our best and talented players and they all happen to be midfielders. Would like to think there is someway to keep them all out on the pitch together with Luis.

just to say, I think the most enjoying team to watch at the moment IMO is Juventus who plays 3-5-2 and it's just great.
We can play it, but the players must be confident enough, and we should be winning some games too. I wouldn't be against it.

                               Reina
                Coates      Skrtel         Agger
                   Allen            Sahin/Lucas
Johnson                Gerrard            Sterling
                  Borini             Suarez

just to say, I think the most enjoying team to watch at the moment IMO is Juventus who plays 3-5-2 and it's just great.
We can play it, but the players must be confident enough, and we should be winning some games too. I wouldn't be against it.

                               Reina
                Johnson    Skrtel         Agger
                   Allen                  Lucas
Sahin                  Gerrard            Sterling
                  Borini             Suarez

Made a couple small adjustments and now we're talking

                        Reina
Wisdom    Skrtel         Agger    Johnson

               Lucas          Allen

Sterling              Suso           Sahin

                        Suarez

Bench: Gerrard,Coates,Assidi,Shelvey,Downing,Enrique,Borini.

Made a couple small adjustments and now we're talking

Like that one pretty good FL...3 at the back scares the sh*te out of me as we leak goals with 4 now...but still I do like the look of that.