Liverpool 2-2 Aston Villa: In game and Post match deconstruction

At least we didn't lose the game, despite a diabolical first half.

The midfield remains a serious flaw in our team, with players like Gerrard and Lucas over the hill and Henderson and Allen not being top class. Really need to reinforce the midfield with quality as a matter of urgency. The defence also looks really disorganized.

We're extremely lucky Ferguson retired or top 4 would already be a dream.

The only player worthy of a red shirt was Skrtel, the rest shocking we won't finish Fouth on that performance

We will bounce back. We'll take it out on the bluenose

Johnson motm anybody. 

I can't wait to hear what Brendan has got to say. He got it wrong and needs to accept that and move on. The only way to correct ones mistakes is to own them.

Johnson motm anybody. 

Errrrrrrr, no.

He's had some right howlers and all we can do now is hope he comes good . The only reason he's in goals for us is that Reinas wages were too high .

Being in acceptance of the situation does not mean I agree with the original decision, mate. Today has been coming for some time. Our defence has looked awful all season, and given the money spent on it during the Summer at the expense of a midfield much more in need of rebuilding, keeping three clean sheets all season is simply not good enough. Let's be honest, so far this season we have over-performed at the expense of our peers under-performing, resulting in a flattering league position but the truth of the matter is that this squad simply lacks the talent needed for a genuine title push, never mind finishing in the top four.

A bit off topic but everyone has there own views on who was the worst player to wear a red shirt,for me Biscan for the most part was sh*te,and you think he was ok,you have your opinion,and i have mine,no big deal.

Yeah I just think it's a seriously skewed opinion. I don't think Cissokho will ever put in massive performances like Biscan did away to Juventus in the 2005 CL quarters (or away to Leverkusen in the previous round). He may have been bang average but he's not Cissokho. And to continue to say Biscan in light of the likes of N'Gog, Dossena, Poulsen and Konchesky having played since is even more bizarre.

Being in acceptance of the situation does not mean I agree with the original decision, mate. Today has been coming for some time. Our defence has looked awful all season, and given the money spent on it during the Summer at the expense of a midfield much more in need of rebuilding, keeping three clean sheets all season is simply not good enough. Let's be honest, so far this season we have over-performed at the expense of our peers under-performing, resulting in a flattering league position but the truth of the matter is that this squad simply lacks the talent needed for a genuine title push, never mind finishing in the top four.

Brendan has to be at blame here. He has once again, shown his tactical nativity. What was he thinking starting that XI? Not many of you can moan though, as you were all predicting 5/6 nil wins.

To not play Lucas turned out to be a very naive decision. Aston villa are a counter attacking team and in the first half they cut through us like a knife through butter. But all throughout the game, we were physically weak and looked the much poorer side.

Do we need to buy in the winter transfer window? Not necessarily. The players we had available today were more than good enough to thrash this villa side. If we do purchase, then someone who will add a bit more stability to our midfield.

It's not as simple as that, it wasn't just about personnel or leaving Lucas out. The mistake was playing a dead formation, and 4-4-2 is dead for many reasons. It absolutely killed us, they weren't even hitting us on the break, you have to have the ball for that to happen. Really disappointed that Brendan stubbornly persisted with the shoddy formation until after they scored when it was clear it wasn't working after 10 minutes. We did well in the end to get a point although having got back on dual terms you expected us to push on and get the winner. The draw won't kill us, given the performance I'm looking at this as a point gained. Hopefully the chavs can do us a favour and turn over the mancs tomorrow and then it's up to us to beat the bitters at Anfield in a couple of weeks.

As for Cissoko, a few have asked if he is the worst to pull on the jersey, have to say in my 32 years as a red I can't think of many if any worse.

Just a thought for the many fans who were predicting a 4 or 5 goal win and might be experiencing particularly high levels of anger as a result of today's performance. I'd temper my expectations a little because we're still a way from being the finished article and clearly our young manager still has a bit of learning to do. Hopefully today he has learned that 4-4-2 sucks, Cissoko needs to be replaced quickly and if your going to ask our 33 year old skipper to play the holding role he needs a 3rd man in that central midfield alongside him to stand a decent chance of succeeding.

That first half was as poor as I've seen us play for some time. Didn't think before kick off that we'd get a high scoring win but did expect a narrow one. It's been said before, Migs is a very good shot stopper, but whenever a high ball is played into a packed box I'm sure he must close his eyes and hope for the best. Stevie should never play deep. At times it was as though he was playing centre back and it seemed to disrupt what is already a very unconvincing defence. Only Skirts provided me with any kind of confidence defensively today, and he seemed to keep his hands to himself which was a relief. No idea what's up with Cou but he looks lacking in confidence at the moment. Lucas, for the 20 mins he managed to play, brought a much needed stability to the centre of the park. Yes, as has been pointed out in here on many occasions, he does not provide us with much in the way of creativity going forward, but compare the period before he came on with his brief time on it and you might just be able to see what he does bring. 

You know something, I'm going to stop analysing this game because I'm way too hacked off at the minute. Will come back to it when I've stopped feeling like a bunged up volcano with a hairline fracture.

Mr Henry, time to support the manager with hard currency, sell a yacht if you're a bit strapped but get it done.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend folks YNWL

Can only think John Henry saw that and thought, F**k we need a shed load of decent players in here, so i'm off to the winter transfer thread to see who he's bought for us !

Was it a tactical decision to keep Glen back? Lost count of the number of times Sterling had the ball out right with no support. Was very strange since we should have been pushing for a winner.

A kamikaze formation in the first half all about shoehorning players in rather than being competitive. Have to start with henderson and allen against everton plus one of lucas and gerrard. Only 3 out of sss and coutinho can start particularly if our deep lying midfielder is 33 years old

Letting Pepe go to save a few quid on wages may come to be an expensive mistake as Simon has cost us a few goals of late. Not looking too safe at present is he.

Got to say Allen was very impressive when he came on today, looked composed on the ball and didn't do too much wrong at all. Coutinho was the most ineffective I'd have to say, touch was awful, passing was slack and was rightly subbed at half time.

I am pretty sure that no one has the worse back defenders than us this season. Johnson was so poor that we decided to send the ball to Cissokho on the left, so go figure. Hope that Henry has saw what kind of squad are we competing for the top four and that signings have to be made.

We are lucky to get a point here, if Aston Villa won the game it would be pretty much deserved. Hope that some squad changed will come in Everton game.

sh*t display cost us 2 points, and cost me £150 on my accy. Very pissed off.

As much as I think Cissokho isn't Liverpool standard, at least he never backed down from the task even though he couldn't meet him. Feel for him really.

He's had some right howlers and all we can do now is hope he comes good . The only reason he's in goals for us is that Reinas wages were too high .

cost us quite a few goals of late if he loses to much confidence he could be very costly to us in the run in.

Well that was not expected by many. A lot of the blame has to fall with Brendan today and with what is now looking like a ludicrous idea of playing Stevie as DM. Mind you Gerrard was not much better when pushed forward, surely time has come to assess his contribution to our midfield especially as we were still being over run in the second half.
I really thought after our second goal and almost 30 minutes to play we could snatch a winner, very dissapointed with the lack of response to get out of goal.
Cissokho everything has already been said!
Mig seems to be having a real confidence issue at the moment, same with Coutinho don't think I have seen a performance as poor as that from him.
Toure is just past it and inspires no confidence at the back esp with Cissokho in the same line up.

Can't wait for Sakho and Enrique to return.

what is worrying is how little Luis had of the ball at home...We were kept quiet by a very average Villa side

what is worrying is how little Luis had of the ball at home...We were kept quiet by a very average Villa side

Two reasons I think mate, first half we couldn't get on the ball because of our 4 man midfield and in the second half he was sacrificed out on the left to accommodate Sturridge through the middle which was a mistake for me. I would have proffered to see Sterling out on the left, Sturridge on the right allowing the best number 9 in the world to play as a number 9

It's not as simple as that, it wasn't just about personnel or leaving Lucas out. The mistake was playing a dead formation, and 4-4-2 is dead for many reasons.

Agree 100% Scott.

The formation and tactic was more to blame then the personnel for the problem in midfield.

While Gerrard Gerrard's as far from great he was totally isolated in the first half and Lucas would have struggled just as much in my opinion in the same formation.

A lot of the blame has to fall with Brendan today and with what is now looking like a ludicrous idea of playing Stevie as DM. Mind you Gerrard was not much better when pushed forward

Can't defend Gerrard's first half performance or Rodgers tactics.

I will give Stevie G the benefit of the doubt on the second half as he had clearly had been run ragged in the first half.  We would have won games like today if we had the benefit of bringing on a Gerrard at say 60 minutes.