Liverpool 0-0 Stoke Rugby Team - In-game & post-match frustration

Suarez is the star, if we lose him to injury we are fu**ed

Are we? 14 matches at home without a win with him in the team seems to suggest we couldn't do much worse without him. Yes, he's one of the world's most talented footballers but he also has a tendency to go for glory when there's someone else in a better position. And Roddenberry is right. We're having enough problems with Refs not giving decisions without Luis compounding the problem by blatantly diving.

Agreed - the star is supposed to be the team, not any one individual player.

Yes, what I expect of our captain is to lead by example, bring the younger players into the game, give them confidence, encourage them to get involved in an attack and push them on. Not necessary passes aimed for Suarez all the time. But by trying to do everthing on his own and he most probably recognised Suarez as only another worthy player on par with him, i'm not surprise he has got 36 misplaced passes. Suarez will always be tightly marked and Stevie still aimed those passes at him and the passes will most probably won't reach Suarez that becomes misplaced passes. And bringing Borini on, I'm not sure whether it is going to make any difference.

On the positive side, Wisdom did well, a very polished display and we plugged that hole in the middle of our box that has so often led to the the opposition having a free shot at goal and Allen did well there to plug that hole.   

It's all relative tho'; ain't it?

I mean; personally, I'd rather Stevie 'lost' the ball 50 times, trying to create and drive forward, than holding onto it and tippi-f**king-tapping it about all day and never losing it. Like I say that's just me.

Not just you BBB

I like the bit of play by Skrtel as if telling the forward line, don't dally outside their box, pin them back to their goal line and pressure their back 4 enough and you'll get the chance.

Dissapointing that we couldnt beat a very below-average Stoke rugby team. Very little movement as we got to the final 3rd, and as much I love us crafting goals by playing out from the back we were lucky not to concede with pass backs to Reina today, need to sort that out! Suarez really done himself no favours today with appeals for fouls. Gerrard rather poor, surprised we brought Cole on for Suso, did need a change at that point but I would have took either Sahin or Sterling off for Borini or Assaidi. Definitely 2 points lost, rather than a point gained. As much as I hate to say it, the teams above us (Chelsea, United, Arsenal, Spurs) and even the teams around us (Everton, Newcastle etc.) would have wallopped that Stoke team 3/4-0 today, really lacking in the final 3rd. Also, was in block 129 an the atmosphere was really poor today, probably quietest PL game ive ever been too.

Thats all of my negatives, but we did really well in controlling the game. Allen + Back 4 dealt with their attack comfortably and there was little chance in us conceding apart from any dodgy passes etc. Not sure about the pass completion + possession percentages where but it actually means f**k all if we dont convert, onwards and upwards anyway, 3 points against Reading is vital otherwise I cant see us getting any result at Woodison the following week and that will leave us in a very bad place. COME ON LIVERPOOL!!

Fair point mouse and Stevie is always going to give the ball away more than Allen for example as he is looking for a more creative ball but he was still well below his best today I thought.

Below his best is fair enough comment but let's be honest here: our midfield still dominated against a Stoke team that offered F**k all in attack or midfield.

Owning the ball and passing it back and forward in front of a 'small team', whilst looking for the one potential goal-threat to get free, is hardly anything new.

Rafa's teams couldn't do it; Kenny's teams couldn't and now Brendan's are having problems. The way I'm reading it there are two coinciding factors; 1: 'possession' - it counts for nothing if it's in front of a well drilled defence (who know what's coming) and 2: 'lone goal threat' - nuff said.

Personally I'd like us, in games like this to just get quick ball and bodies into the box; even if we don't score it'll be coming straight back out for another go anyhow and... it'll give teams like Stoke less time to re-group and get 'set up'. A bit more urgency and (dare I say it) a lot less playing 'in front' of a back ten might, just maybe, reap more rewards.

to be honest, i think we are being quite hash on ourselves. yes i think we didnt do enough to deserve a win, but stoke drew against arsenal and city also this season. their horrible tactics of stopping opposition at all costs was the main reason for not winning today. we need a striker in january tho.

 There'll be many more days like this before we see the dawn. It's a clean sheet, we dominated the game but we need a striker. We all knew we needed a striker anyway, so it's hardly surprising. Nor is the fact that Stoke are very resolute particularly surprising either. It'll come, it may be slower than people want it to happen but it'll come if the fans stay with the players and the manager.

The gobs***e Pulis airs his thoughts:

Phil McNulty ‏@philmcnulty
Pulis on Suarez going down in the area: "Retrospective decisions are made on a Monday and Luis Suarez should be punished....

Phil McNulty ‏@philmcnulty
More Stoke boss Pulis on Luis Suarez: "The one in the penalty box was an embarrassment and how he wasn't booked I don't know."

Phil McNulty ‏@philmcnulty
Stoke's Robert Huth also on wrong side of law in battle with Suarez. Nasty, nasty stamp so Tony Pulis cannot claim all moral high ground.

Lets hope a retrospective decision is made for Huth's disgusting stamp on Luis's chest at the start of the match as well eh Pulis?  Should have been sent off.  Knobhead player and knobhead boss.

Huth's stamp on Luis:



Dirty c**t.

Dirty b***ard indeed, that's assault plain and simple, should of been red. Not going to use it as an excuse but that is a red card every single time and something that should never be in the game. Pulis is simply a promoter of thuggery and should be branded no better, in fact worse, thugs in general are simple in nature and stupid in brain, for Pulis to encourage it just infuriates me and amazed that the clamping down on this sort of behaviour hasn't seen Stoke finish matches with barely enough for a 5-a-side.

Hey you know what? At least we kept a clean sheet today.

But, we're always going struggle if both Gerrard and Sahin are struggling in midfield. We need those two to be able to pick a stubborn D. Gerrard nearly did but Johnson skyed his shot.  I read that Stevie gave the ball away something like 36 times. Pretty shocking given his standards.

One thing too, gotta question the substitution of Suso for Cole. I thought Borini should have come in for Suso but Suso started playing really well before making way for Cole. Don't think Joe brought anything to the game.

Joe Allen only lost possession of the ball 6 times for #LFC today… Stevie? 36 times!! According to transfer specs, I don't doubt it either. Looking at the number though is shocking.

but who is gonna score a goal or make a pass for a goal gerrard is still world class

Huth's stamp on Luis:



Dirty c**t.

That's a F***ing horrendous foul

Just gunna come & stick 10 men behind the ball them.

Think it will be another one of those games where we dominate possession but cant break them down.

Frustrating draw IMO, but Im a pessimistic b***ard!

Havent watched the game, but one of them then Im guessing.

Don't see us having any 'Plan B' at the moment.

Hate playing this Fucks, they never play to win only to not lose.

Seriously these cu*ts could form a decent rugby side if they wanted. Should have been at least 1 perhaps 2 red cards; really hard to understand how the FA allow them to play like this week in week out, year in year out, just disgraceful football.

Once again dominating in possession and in the attack things did not fall for us, clean sheet is nice but come on its Stoke, not City.

Really impressed today by Wisdom, he is earning a permanent position every match he plays, so composed in defense but always looking to go forward.

Havent watched the game, but one of them then Im guessing.

Don't see us having any 'Plan B' at the moment.

Problem with a plan B is against a team that has no intention of winning and only cares about 0-0 ties a plan A-B-C-D would find it difficult, however I do agree that we could use an Andy Carroll type against this opponent.

Problem with a plan B is against a team that has no intention of winning and only cares about 0-0 ties a plan A-B-C-D would find it difficult, however I do agree that we could use an Andy Carroll type against this opponent.

We need more quality if we are to start winning these types of games. Sometimes you need more quality against bad sides who defend in depth than you do against top sides that play a more open game. We can't just depend on Suarez to do it on his own week in week out. 

I think that is why he brought on Cole, he's very experienced and very tricky. Perhaps he thought he could find that pass to unlock the defence. Suso failed (though 'fail' is a bit harsh to be fair) to do it.

For all our obvious ability, Suso, Sterling, Suarez, etc, we still can't penetrate defences.

Sometimes you need a hammer to open a walnut.

A very frustrating game to watch indeed, I think again the Ref needed to go to specsavers, we just arent getting anything these days.

I was in the Main Stand today, and I must say a lot of the build up play was good, but the minute we got near the box, we seemed bereft of ideas and that was if there was anyone in the box!!!.

Gerrard stood on the ball at one point looking for someone to make a run..it didnt happen.

A lot of posters on here have been saying that Stoke didn't come to play football , i'm afraid they did "their kind of football" in fairness we all know what their like and have known for quiet a while . I don't know why we find it so difficult to break them down , other teams can do it easy but we can't . Carroll would have made the difference there today . The plan B we don't have because we loaned him out.

I watched the stampede on Suarez and thought to myself that he'll leave and get out of England as soon as he can . No player as good as suarez can keep taking that abuse from players and knowing that the refs are turning a blind eye to it .

 :f_wah:Absolutely right BIG EARS he ain't got a plan B never has and never will  Opposition soon sus out that's  all you can do is pass it about so up they're game and pressure you in to making mistakes and losing the ball. Sorry to say I've seen it so many times in the past with BR it will get more boring as the weeks go bye I can guarantee you that