Liverpool 3-1 Zenit (3-3a): In game and Post Match Thoughts

Feel we got to stop this passing around our area gonna cost us big time unless we get rid

Feel we got to stop this passing around our area gonna cost us big time unless we get rid

i agree. how many times has pepe in the past launched a throw right onto an attack foot? loads. But it seems BR wont allow that any more. he'd rather we tapped it about

Problem with making attacking subs like that is the balance of the side is lost. Saw Villa do the same against Bradford in the League Cup and they created more with a realistic formation than when they threw on Bent and Weiman with Benteke. We were hammering them and with 30 mins to go I felt we didn't need to go as attacking as we did.

Proud of the effort though and better to go down over attacking than to err on the side of caution.

Bitterly dissappointed with the result, but greatly encouraged with the performance.  I do think that we were the better team over the two legs, but unfortunately the away goals rule worked against us this time. 

I will try to focus on the positives from the match:

We looked good/dangerous without Sturridge.  We have been struggling to find the same level of attacking threat without him in the side, but I feel that the team put out from the start had the right blend of personell to give us good balance on both sides of the ball. 

Allen looked good.  He has been in a poor run of it lately, but he was composed on the ball, constantly made himself available, and put in a very good shift. 

Suarez reaffirmed that he is a world beater and we simply cannot lose him.  We need to get another top forward player in over the summer who can play with both Suarez and Sturridge and we will be in really good shape (attacking wise anyway).

Hendo, Downing, Agger, and Enrique all had good games as well.  Many of us are under no illusion that while we are not at the level of quality or consistency that we need to be at to challenge for major honors, we are also not that far away.  We do have the makings of a good squad and 3-5 additions of real quality in the summer will make us a very dangerous team again!!

Most of all, I am thrilled with the courage and fight showed by the lads.  It would have been easy to let their heads drop and go down without a fight after Hulk scored that sucker punch goal.  However, we buckeled down and had a real shot at advancing up until the very end.  Well played lads!! 

YNWA

IMO assaidi did alright when he came on. had some good crosses, few good passes and went past players. he was ceraintly involved in the game.

Allen looked good.  He has been in a poor run of it lately, but he was composed on the ball, constantly made himself available, and put in a very good shift. 


YNWA

Agree.
I thought Allen played pretty well. Can only get better and back to his Swansea days and improve with being around Gerrard and Lucas.

I suppose this means the likes of Coates, Assaidi, Suso etc won't see the pitch any more this season. 

No doubt in my mind we would have gone through if Sturridge and Coutinho were available.
We were punished for wasted chances in the first leg.
We very nearly rectified it.

We learn, we get stronger.

Finally managed to watch all the goals.

Loved the celebrations after the 3rd goal. Heart breaking to think that we went out after all that.

Once again poor finishing (1st leg) and individual mistakes in defense (2nd leg) have let us down big time.

Well i'm totaly amazed by our terriffic performance tonight. First time my gut feeling of impending victory against the odds has let me down. Carra you tw*t ! never mind, forgiven him already, expect he'll lose plenty of sleep reliving that moment. Neto should have walked before half time. Never thought I'd see a performance like that with Allen, Downing and Henderson starting together, but credit where credit's due. Brilliant to a man tonight. Strange we complain when the subs are made too late to change anything. Tonight a tad too early, we were in the asscendancy and I think we may have gone on and won it but the subs changed the balance and the momentum a bit.  So on to next season for a trophy, and hoping that overall result won't affect our enthusiasm in the prem. Sad but proud, proud to be a red and always will be while we are prepared to battle like that. And a word for the kop, and the whole crowd, tremendous tonight, a cocophany of thunderous support,  and the Zenit team will talk about their visit to Anfield with their grandchildren  one day. Tonight will stay with them forever thats for sure. Onwards and upwards you mighty red men.

Unforunately Assaidi part of "Bad substitutions" tonight

I think it was a bit unfair on the lad to be honest, we've not seen him for months then he's thrown into the most intensive game we've had this season. If he's been struggling for whatever reason, he should be brought on in a game when we're cruising e.g Swansea game.

Despite the outcome, very pleased with the performance against a decent team - Hulk and Witsel are F***ing animals.

Suarez..... Best LFC striker in my lifetime. If you put Fowler, Owen or Torres in this current squad non of them would do aswell IMO. Hope to see him play for many more years to come, simply jaw-dropping.

Just got back, what an atmosphere. Hope it came across on the telly as good as it felt being in the heart of it.

Gutted we didn't get through, that old Anfield roar was certainly back tonight. And for me it should act as a wake up call of what we can actually do to be that twelfth man for the lads out on the pitch.

Gutted for Carra with the goal, the only real disappointment for me barring going out was the subs. None of the three added to the performance for me and I was slightly annoyed at BR making a double sub as the third goal went in. I can see why when we're chasing 2 more goals you bring on the more attacking Assaidi & Jonjo however as the second free kick goes in surely BR has to change his thought process and at most only make one of the subs as we were so in control.

For me as the third went in a much better change would have been Sterling for Allen with Hendo moving centrally. That said it's easy in hindsight.

Forget the negatives a superb comeback that sadly wasn't to be, keep believing reds, keep supporting our great club and good things are round the corner, one thing that stood out to me with the squad we had to pick from was how good the business of bringing Sturridge & Coutinho have been and how much stronger we are with them available for the first team.

YNWA

And if someone calls Glen Johnson the best right back in the country one more time i'll lose it.

He's an inconsistent, Messi-wannabe sh*t bag. His crosses are over hit or under hit and his dribbling is so laboured.

EDIT: Oh, and he can't defend for f**k.

Johnson is the best right back in the country. And he can defend as well as anyone back there, mate. He's just had a few bad days recently.

What an absolutely epic atmosphere tonight! Was proud to be part of the Kop. Despite us going out I was a lot happier than most of the Zenit fans looked tonight. If they keep on with those away performances in this competition they won't get much further.

I am extremely confident about our matches in the near future, firmly believe after the past couple of weeks that we will have a great run to the end of the season.

One negative comment was bringing Shelvey on with half an hour to go. He hasn't got the fitness at the moment, he looked slow and lazy a majority of the time and didn't look like he wanted to track his man.

Just back from watching the match, was absolutely awesome.

Brilliant effort from the boys and couldn't be more proud of them. The atmosphere was immense and honestly the best team went out over 2 legs and absolutely gutted for Carra doing that mistake on his last European game for us, painful.

Loved the reaction from the boys and the manager after going a goal down, truly monumental effort to get back in it and honestly can't explain those subs from Brendan, got it wrong there in my opinion but that's about the only criticism I dare bring.

Luis, 2 glorious free-kicks, that 2nd will live long in the memory, an absolute perfect free-kick. Watching him kneel to the ground at the end of the game hurt as much as going out, meant so much to the lad and that's why I absolutely love him. Personally going to forget the mistakes and the missed chances and congratulate the boys, they can be very proud of the effort they put in tonight, despite going out they did the club proud, well done lads!

YNWA

Recorded it and just watching it now and the atmosphere when Suarez scored the first goal sounded amazing, just as good as it was live. Never heard anything like it!

Recorded it and just watching it now and the atmosphere when Suarez scored the first goal sounded amazing, just as good as it was live. Never heard anything like it!

Agreed. Was crazy being there but to hear exactly how loud it was on tv brought it home. Truly the greatest fans in the world.

The players can keep our heads high and us fans too. We're on a good momentum actually and this performance is no exception to our good form. We should build on this confidence and aim for this top 4 as hard as we can; we can do it! At least we should give our all to do so. For Carra plz!

Johnson is the best right back in the country. And he can defend as well as anyone back there, mate. He's just had a few bad days recently.

Come on, mate. Even his staunchest supporter would admit he is horrible in defence.

 I have not seen the match so no comment on it,I did predict a 4-1 win for us though so I feel robbed.We have got to pull out all the stops now and climb up that league.

Neto has about 9 yellows in my book.

I'm sure a red card had to be dished out today to Zenit.  Fecking Ref.  Love you to absolutely pieces Liverpool, holding my head up high.  PROUD PROUD PROUD RED MEN and BIG UP to all the people who went.

Nothing like a double susbstitution to F**k momentum up as soon as we went 3-1 up.

Why?

A mistake in my opinion.

Some good performers and Luis' heart is second to none but I am pissed off with the amount of people, at all levels, who are learning their trade here.

Too many rookies from the boardroom down.

think we may have gone on and won it but the subs changed the balance and the momentum a bit.

Disagree.  Thought the subs did well.  Only disagreed with Raheem Sub as we were on the up then.  But can't fault the gaffer, he had to do something.  Me personally would have seen it out with only the 2 subs.