Liverpool 4-3 Swansea: In Game Chat and Post Match Defibrillation

It certainly makes for entertaining football, even if we seem to be on a roller coaster ride at times! Still the main thing is that the side keep out scoring the opposition and create a winning mentality. Better than boring 0 0 draws any time.

Good post, fully agree that we attack and defend as a unit so the blame if there is any for letting a 2 goal advantage dissipate lies with the whole team and not just the back 4. Although got to admit Skrtels pen has been a long time coming.

It has..

Can't say I've ever been his biggest fan as most will know, even under a more defensive style coach as Rafa..

Own goal wasn't his fault though, took a nick just before it went to him, he could react and then that wrong footed the keeper

there was a time for a short period where Rafa seemed to let them off the leash and we did score goals for fun but I think conceding goals was against his basic instinct and we reverted to type but still scored 100 goals that season.
if you have got Stevie,Daniel,Luis,Couthino,Sterling young flanno and Johnson who are all attack minded players why not play to the strengths we have.
Sometimes the best form of management is to let something develop and see where it takes you and its taking us a very long way at present.
Today's game was a perfect example of playing to our strengths and that is we have more goal scorers in our team and we have better goal scorers in our team than any other club.I didn't mind too much when Swansea scored everyone score against us but we score more than them.

Getting the tissues ready. 

 

Now we have 3 back to back AWAY games, (as the home game against sunderland on 10th march is posponed),  southampton, mancs and cardiff

 6/7 points from these are a must , I think


 YNWA

There's a good chance the Sunderland game could be played in the mid week between those fixtures surely?

A clean sheet seems to be a thing of the past, how things have changed, the old Liverpool guard will be shaking their heads, in disbelief the way the present defence is playing.

I'm less worried about the goals as I am about the space we're affording teams which is what's resulting in the goals. You can't keep a clean sheet all the time but we seem to be inviting teams to score against us. Henderson, Sterling and Courtinho maraud forwards to support our front two but leave great gaping holes at the back. Whilst I don't blame the player because I think he's just following team tactics, Henderson really should be sitting alongside Gerrard and only making surging runs when the opportunity presents itself in a safe manner.

Mignolet looked nervous again today, unsure whether to come out or stay on his line. He's not the commanding presence we've been used to in recent years (post-James era) which isn't helped by Skrtel auditioning for WWE each week. I really think our defence is being undermined by his indecisiveness, which in turn is making him more indecisive and creating a feedback loop of pure nervousness at the back. Don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying he's all to blame, but he is part of the problem and I really think we either need to bring back Pepe next season or sell him and buy a better keeper who displays more comfort and greater confidence on crosses and is able to be a commanding presence in his area.

Great result today although my ticker would disagree. I think BR might have underestimated Swansea thinking their energy levels wouldn't be as high after the midweek game. After we went 2 up we lost concentration for a few minutes perhaps feeling the game was under our control. But it wasn't and fair play to Swansea for capitalising on our lapse. While I admire our managers cavalier approach in every game regardless of the quality of the opposition I just wish sometimes we'd tighten up as a unit after taking a two goal lead. It's possibly a case of not yet having the depth of quality in the squad for BR to strike the perfect balance between attacking flair and defensive solidity. This may be rectified to a degree when Sakho and Enrique return. There's no question we have to be more solid when we entertain the Chavs and City.

Its not really just a defensive issue though, Brendan is a front foot manager.. Look at how he sets us up, look at the players overall he has signed here.. Look at what he inherited..

We essentially attack as a unit, as a team, our full backs get forward, our CBs are encouraged to bring the ball out, 2 of our 3 midfielders are attack minded, the other is Steven who is a front foot footballer who is adapting to a new position in front of the back 4 in the twilight of his career, our front 3 dont often look behind them... When we get turned around quickly we are exposed.. But if we are attack minded as a unit then we cant round simply on the back 4 when we conceed.. We should defend as a unit but we dont really. Often it looks like individual errors but its what leads to them thats really the issue.
But for me we have to accept this, as thats what the managers outlook is and its whats got us where we are this season so far.. Yes i find it frustrating when we are 2 up and dont seem to be able to shut th back door, but thats the nature of the beast, what gets us there cant really be switched in mentality.. The way the gaffer see's if is that if we are 2 up then go for the throat, get the third and they crumble and we could get 4,5 or 6 like we have done and are capable of doing.. Yet if they get the next goal then we possibly get what we have here or at Craven Cottage recently..

There is more than one way to skin a cat and certainly more ways of seeing this beautiful game we all love and this is our managers.

Under a Rafa it wasnt an exposed back 4, it was a solid 4 with two deep holders in front, two tucked in wide players charged with not allowing  space and getting the ball back, a keeper who pushed high to act a sweeper.. With a couple of players in the final third so clinical that we won tight games.. But we didnt often smash teams like we do now.. Is a view of the game, both valid and i have my view of which i prefer but i cant simply blame the back 4 or call our defenders clowns when its a team mentality thing that leads to them looking less solid than under a Rafa type manager.

Its frustrating yes.. But its exciting and has us competing for a title.. Lets love what the manager brings to the table as a view of the game rather than hate what he doesnt.











Superb game today, had all the emotions.. But we did enough, we won..  Probably not my type of game but we cant say we dont get value for money nowadays.

Agree wholeheartedly Jon.  I doubt we'll ever see a Rafa type defensive set up with Brendan in charge but who cares I'm loving this season.

Agree wholeheartedly Jon.  I doubt we'll ever see a Rafa type defensive set up with Brendan in charge but who cares I'm loving this season.

Agree Debs..

My footballing nature probably falls more into a Rafa approach personally but as you say that doesn't mean I am not enjoying this but I've always believed that both aspects of the game deserve equal respect. I remember being younger during Evo's time and those famous 4-3s against Newcastle and doing my nut at what we were doing defensively..

But it's the nature of the game, managers have different outlooks on how to approach it and Brendan's has us challenging.. You won't hear me complaining one bit

Well in Brendan

6 points ahead of spurs. Crazily better goal difference. If we beat Southampton we will have to be considered serious title contenders rather than fighting for top 4

We ran into a referee who wanted to make a name for himself today with the free kick and penalty given against Marty. Sadly for Mike Jones he's already made a name for himself as the daft c**t who allowed the beach ball goal to be awarded.

We ran into a referee who wanted to make a name for himself today with the free kick and penalty given against Marty. Sadly for Mike Jones he's already made a name for himself as the daft c**t who allowed the beach ball goal to be awarded.

The penalty was a penalty though..

I voted for Hendo as MOTM but could quite easily have gone for Flanno.
He is becoming a firm fav of mine.
Love the fact that he tries so hard, works on the simple things well and is gaining in confidence every game and even took on players, pushed himself forward and was trusted by the other players to receive the ball when in past months he wouldn't have.
Great to get 3 points and was an exciting match to watch with some great team goals BUT the old defensive mistakes were there and need to be eradicated.
It's just so fantastic to actually have some hope for once at this part of the season.
If we finish 4th i will be utterly delighted. Been a great season of entertaining footy this season although the old nerves could do with seeing a tad more solidity at the back!

The penalty was a penalty though..

No more so than every other game Skrtel plays in. Was a matter of time until one ref bit, but Mike Jones is out to make a name for himself. Bit annoying when we were denied a clear pen last week by the spineless Howard Webb.

No more so than every other game Skrtel plays in. Was a matter of time until one ref bit, but Mike Jones is out to make a name for himself. Bit annoying when we were denied a clear pen last week by the spineless Howard Webb.

It could be pens most weeks against him for it.

Something he needs to cut out or get better at. He has always done it though.

Not good for the ticker that game.

Defence was a shambles embarrassing at times 1000 games between the 3 centre backs that featured today and looked as nervous as a few youth lads.

Good going forward and a couple of hearty performances none more so then  that of Henderson.

It could be pens most weeks against him for it.

Something he needs to cut out or get better at. He has always done it though.

Still reckon the ref was playing silly bollocks and was going to always going to award a penalty against Skrtel today before a ball was kicked.

Very soft.

Still reckon the ref was playing silly bollocks and was going to always going to award a penalty against Skrtel today before a ball was kicked.

I'd like to think that doesn't happen

But if Skrtel doesn't foul him then he can't give a pen.. It was a foul and he gave it.. No conspiracy there

I'd like to think that doesn't happen

But if Skrtel doesn't foul him then he can't give a pen.. It was a foul and he gave it.. No conspiracy there

Brendan saying wrong decision, MoTD saying very soft.

My nerves were gone by the time they levelled at the start of the second half.


Here's some numbers for those that like meaningless stats.

We have 3 points more now, after 27 games, than we did in 08/09.

08/09 - 27 Games - 53 Points - 43 GS - 21 GC. That season LFC won 10 and drew 1 in the remaining games.

13/14 - 27 Games - 56 Points - 70 GS - 35 GC.

How crazy is it that we invested the most in our defence in the summer yet our goals conceded is what is costing us.
Sakho can't come back quick enough. I really think the constantly unsettled back four is costing us.

Brendan saying wrong decision, MoTD saying very soft.

He's bound too.. There has been big talk of Martin doing this type of thing in the box in the media, the gaffer isn't going to add fuel to the fire by saying it was right.

We are all allowed our opinions either way.. I felt it was a pen. I have no issue if others don't

He's bound too.. There has been big talk of Martin doing this type of thing in the box in the media, the gaffer isn't going to add fuel to the fire by saying it was right.

Which is why I think Mike Jones was out to make a late push for an FA Cup Final.

Annoying thing is, Marty should have walked if he was going to play the billy big bollocks ref, having already booked him for nothing in particular.

Easier to rock the boat with a life jacket on though. 

He's bound too.. There has been big talk of Martin doing this type of thing in the box in the media, the gaffer isn't going to add fuel to the fire by saying it was right.

We are all allowed our opinions either way.. I felt it was a pen. I have no issue if others don't

The likes of MOTD have started to highlight Skrtel on defenders in set pieces and
I'll be honest he's lucky that we don't get penalised more often. Skrtel seems to
always be focused on "containing" the player, and quite a few times he's been warned
about it.