West Brom 1-1 Liverpool: In game and Post Match *****

It's easier to play a nominal 4-4-2 when the 2 are massive, powerful beasts like Toure and Fernandinho. Plus they play with one or more players tucked right in, or dropping back,  which makes a three most of the time. Only Navas stays very wide.

They also have the ability to do a big/little pairing with the likes of Negredo and Dzeko playing the target man role.  We don't have a "big" man anymore.  We also lack the dynamism in our 2 CM's, and we don't really have a winger who can compare to Navas. 

I like 4-4-2 as you can have a very well structured team in this formation.  However, we just don't seem to have the players to play this style at the moment.  None of Moses, Coutinho, or Sterling should be played as outside midfielders in a straight forward 4-4-2 in my opinion....

It's easier to play a nominal 4-4-2 when the 2 are massive, powerful beasts like Toure and Fernandinho. Plus they play with one or more players tucked right in, or dropping back,  which makes a three most of the time. Only Navas stays very wide.

maybe should have been looking at our midfield in January then 

They also have the ability to do a big/little pairing with the likes of Negredo and Dzeko playing the target man role.  We don't have a "big" man anymore.  We also lack the dynamism in our 2 CM's, and we don't really have a winger who can compare to Navas. 

I like 4-4-2 as you can have a very well structured team in this formation.  However, we just don't seem to have the players to play this style at the moment.  None of Moses, Coutinho, or Sterling should be played as outside midfielders in a straight forward 4-4-2 in my opinion....

I think Sterling could. Easily.

I think Sterling could. Easily.

I agree, Raheem could quite easily play as the right midfielder in a standard 4-4-2. The problem is, as Harrydunn's pointed out, a central midfield pairing of Gerrard and Henderson leaves something to be desired, and then we try to shoehorn Coutinho in as a central attacking midfielder. That leaves us playing an incredibly lopsided 4-4-2, unless one of Sturridge or Suarez drops in to the left flank and it becomes a sort of 4-2-3-1.

I think if we had a better version of Henderson to go with Gerrard, we could feasibly play a similar system to City, where Coutinho nominally plays 'wide' left but in practice tucks in a lot and operates inbetween the lines - similar to Silva. Sterling could play similarily to Navas, maintaining some width on the right. That leaves us with Sturridge and Suarez in their most effective positions up front. The trouble is I don't think we have the players to play with 2 CM's at the moment.

Also, I want to add what a dirty team of anti-football bunch West Brom were. 4 yellow cards for them did not do it justice. Constant deliberate blocking, shirt pulling, filthy fouls and generally using any means to stop us from playing apart from actual genuine tackles was disgusting. However, it is also a kind of compliment that they feel that was the only way to earn a draw at home. It's a testament to how far we have come in the past 2 years that other teams now see a dirtily fought draw at home as an achievemnt. We should expect it more and adapt our fighting spirit.

 Amazed there hasn't been more said about the cynical, professional fouls that were an obvious part of their strategy and game plan.
There were two or three incidents where the blatant nature of the offence required a red but yellow came out and the offender jogged on.
4 yellow in that game is ludicrous. 

Amazed there hasn't been more said about the cynical, professional fouls that were an obvious part of their strategy and game plan.
There were two or three incidents where the blatant nature of the offence required a red but yellow came out and the offender jogged on.
4 yellow in that game is ludicrous. 

Agree mate.. But lets face it.. teams have been doin it to us for years..
I can remember the Wimbledon Cup Final and how they GBH'd their way to lifting the trophy that day...There's no doubt Vinnie Jones would've got a straight red in todays game for that 2nd minute foul on MacMahon..ouch !

Also, I want to add what a dirty team of anti-football bunch West Brom were. 4 yellow cards for them did not do it justice. Constant deliberate blocking, shirt pulling, filthy fouls and generally using any means to stop us from playing apart from actual genuine tackles was disgusting. However, it is also a kind of compliment that they feel that was the only way to earn a draw at home. It's a testament to how far we have come in the past 2 years that other teams now see a dirtily fought draw at home as an achievemnt. We should expect it more and adapt our fighting spirit.

They aren't as bad as Stoke but that must of been their defensive tactic going into the game. To break down our attack just kick the shins and foul at every given opportunity. Surprised not one of their players got sent off.

Agree mate.. But lets face it.. teams have been doin it to us for years..
I can remember the Wimbledon Cup Final and how they GBH'd their way to lifting the trophy that day...There's no doubt Vinnie Jones would've got a straight red in todays game for that 2nd minute foul on MacMahon..ouch !

Remember that Wimbledon game and screaming that the only way that animal would be sent off is if he shot someone.

sh*t, game, sh*t pitch, average result. No point getting all doom and gloom about it, just need to move on.

as the game wore on we got more and more stretched again, gave them far too much room and space to move into, the gap between the midfield and attack was too big ,we need to be more compact away from home, we need to keep the ball much better.

my brother saw the whole game on tv in the uk. he was disgusted by the hacking job done on sturridge ,saurez and sterling. deliberate agenda to slow down game with referees approval. wba are a disgrace and should be ashamed at the type of soccer they play

I knew it, just knew we were going to F**k it up. We had a real opportunity to pull out a mammoth lead over Newcastle and United, go about 5 clear of Spurs and maintain the 4 over Everton and really sit ourselves in a brilliant position for top 4, as well as close on at least one of the teams above us. Instead we are a fraction ahead of 5th and 6th and falling further behind to what's above us with the good news of having Arsenal next.

What the hell Toure was playing at is beyond me and I'd be inclined to damn well drop him for the next game. Suarez should have put us 2-0 up but didn't take his chance and it was clear we needed a 2nd goal before they scored because it was only a matter of time before they did. We looked to be playing the hopeful long ball over the top to try and use the pace of Sturridge and Sterling for a 1v1 but it wasn't going to work because they weren't playing much of a high line.

It was a game where we needed to have someone who could come off the bench and make an impact in the attack but we had no options to change the game at all. We had a whole month to bring a player in who could do this but we couldn't manage to do that!! Like the Hull game we lost, this was a must win game because they essentially make up for points last against the top teams.

We are throwing away too many leading positions this season through individual errors. Off the top of my head we have thrown away a lead against West Brom, Chelsea, City and twice against Everton in the same game. That is a lot of points dropped. When we get in the lead I damn well expect u to be taking the 3 points, don't care who it is against!

Remember that Wimbledon game and screaming that the only way that animal would be sent off is if he shot someone.

but its worrying that we let them bully us and when we play the teams fighting for survival they will have seen that we don't like it up us.

Although Stevie didn't have bad game but I was a bit disappointed after we went behind the way he kept trying his Hollywood passes to find one of the front two. If there was a time needed for cool heads and play the ball through the midfield especially as we now had 3 in midfield with Allen on then this was it. A bit of tikka taka and we could of put Suarez or Sturridge in with a chance but we just panicked so slightly disappointed with our Captain not seeing what was needed.

But hey easy for me to say that in hindsight. 

What the hell Toure was playing at is beyond me and I'd be inclined to damn well drop him for the next game. Suarez should have put us 2-0 up but didn't take his chance and it was clear we needed a 2nd goal before they scored because it was only a matter of time before they did. We looked to be playing the hopeful long ball over the top to try and use the pace of Sturridge and Sterling for a 1v1 but it wasn't going to work because they weren't playing much of a high line.

He's a fourth choice Center Back. We don't have the luxury of dropping him for the next game. In addition, by that logic, should we also drop Mignolet because just what the hell was he doing passing the ball to a defender with a man-on when the other three had space and time? What about the other nine players all of whom where jaded and disinterested in the game?

I'm not trying to pick a fight with you, mate, just saying it was a bad day at the office for all involved and we should apply some cool heads to this situation and not resort to knee-jerk reactions. Live and learn, onwards and upwards, and any other cliches you can think of that apply to this situation

He's a fourth choice Center Back. We don't have the luxury of dropping him for the next game. In addition, by that logic, should we also drop Mignolet because just what the hell was he doing passing the ball to a defender with a man-on when the other three had space and time? What about the other nine players all of whom where jaded and disinterested in the game?

I'm not trying to pick a fight with you, mate, just saying it was a bad day at the office for all involved and we should apply some cool heads to this situation and not resort to knee-jerk reactions. Live and learn, onwards and upwards, and any other cliches you can think of that apply to this situation

We have about a gazillion CB's at the club, just a case of working through them

If there's one criticism we all have of the club over the past 20 or so years, it's that we always get ourselves up for derbies and matches vs the top sides, but then come out flat against teams we should be beating. It's a recurring problem year after year that we never seem to solve.

We have about a gazillion CB's at the club, just a case of working through them

All of whom are injured. That's the point. We can't drop him because with all the others injured there's no one to replace him with.

^as the man above says it's so frustrating how we can blow teams supposedly better and bigger away and match them or beat them,then play as flat as a witches tit against lesser teams.grrrrr

Its the same old story.
We have 2 magnificent players. But Luis DOES get tired and at any other club would have people to share his burden. Raheem is a good young player, but hasn't got the end product yet. Likewise with Coutinho. THAT is the difference between good/ok players and top players.

The mdifield is either poor, or aged. MIgnolet is ok, nothing more. The defence has some quality and some also rans. Both mf and defence are suffering from injuries and a thin squad. Toure is WAY past it, and that affects his judgement too - see the match!

We lack both quality AND depth. But lack of depth is showing up most. We might not have Lge and Europa matches, but that doesn't mean u can or should try and get away with a very thin squad.

We also lack a "plan b" either from Rodgers or from our midfield or attacking system.

It'll be the same story the next time.. and the next..

With wins against Everton Spurs Manchester United and Spurs with Arsenal to play at home, we should be top. We dropped about 10 points to lesser sides. We either underacheive against lesser sides or over achieve against the top 6. Wtf is going on.

With wins against Everton Spurs Manchester United and Spurs with Arsenal to play at home, we should be top. We dropped about 10 points to lesser sides. We either underacheive against lesser sides or over achieve against the top 6. Wtf is going on.

Drop points to the lesser sides for example West Brom, Southampton, Hull, Swansea and Newcastle. Should of at least beat WBA coming in from the back of a Derby win, Southampton aswell seeing as we were at home, Hull away as they are a newly promoted side, Swansea were beatable and Newcastle with them being just plain sh*t. Valuable points dropped there which could come back to hurt us, we need to take the lesser teams more serious instead of just being not arsed underestimating them. Someone needs to tell Rodgers that because he clearly hasn't clicked onto it.

All of whom are injured. That's the point. We can't drop him because with all the others injured there's no one to replace him with.

Think you're missing the tongue in cheek part of that post mate. Was just making reference to Agger, Skrtel, Sakho, Toure, Illori and Kelly who are all centre backs and the way we have been going through CB's like nobodies business this season.