Liverpool 2-1 Sunderland: In-game & post match recovery

Was there for first time in a long time. Don't normally post "assesment" posts, but here are a few thoughts :-

Atmosphere was cracking at the start in all parts of ground (I was in main stand) - best i've witnessed for a few years to be honest

They came to park the bus and slow things down, which we will have to learn to overcome - and we did

First 70 mins, our pace was incredible and Sunderland were not in the game. When our pace dropped, they came back into it

Too often we were trying to make crosses / slide passes across the 18 yds line - would have liked them to go 6-10 yds deeper so it was more between 6 yd box and penalty spot, as too often they were being easily cut out

Suarez was mauled by their defenders and kept his cool very well

it will not have done the team any harm to 'struggle' in a match like tonight and get the win, as you can pretty much guarantee that in our last 8 games, we will have at least 3 like that, and it's important that they can draw on that experience

overall, some we played the better football, we have some incredible pace in the team, and we deserved to win, and we are capable of winning the league

As i've said here and on twitter, i still maintain magic number is 87pts. Tonight, they kept on course

It probably had the opposite effect on the lads and spooked the bejesus out of them 

I was actually thinking the same as I saw the 'photo's and video's before the game.

It may have unsettled them to have that outside the game, but all that history will show is that we got the 3 points.

Don't think many are 'bemoaning ' anything about the match but if John O'Shea doesn't miss a sitter 2 minutes from time we're out of the title race.

And if farts were lumpy, it didn't go in, so lets concentrate on what did happen eh.
There was always going to be a game like this, one we had to grind out and live dangerously but we got the 3 points ffs.

And if farts were lumpy, it didn't go in, so lets concentrate on what did happen eh.
There was always going to be a game like this, one we had to grind out and live dangerously but we got the 3 points ffs.

O'Shea missing a great chance did happen.
I'm as relieved as anyone we won, and as I said on another thread that's a game we drew last season, but there's nothing wrong with pointing out how close we were to disappointment last night. We're still allowed to critique this team, because as Brendan Rodgers says "we're nowhere near the finished article."

Given they started 7 in defense I would have liked to have seen Sterling start instead of Allen.

Tough grind in the first half.
Maybe Warrior can supply Sunderland next year and re-use the "we come not to play" slogan.

Well well, that was nervy

Sunderland came to park the bus, sat with two flat 4s and wouldn't move, you could tell with Poyets team he wanted to try not to get beat first and keep it tight which they did to their credit.

The one thing I'll say though is those are the types if games we wouldn't have won in the last few years, we would have drawn 1-1 or even lost 1-0 and just ended up frustrated, but this side is different, we couldn't blow them away as they just wouldn't come out but we kept probing and playing our football.

They wanted to take all pace out of the game and stay in it, we fell for that to an extent especially after the second goal, we just played at walking pace and felt the game was won allowing Sunderland something to get hold off and then that last 15 was very nervous.

Gerrard mom for me, you see live more what he brings to that role where he is playing, dictating, talking and bollocking when needed as both Skrtel and Agger found out when O'Shea missed that header late on, his reading of the game is superb.

One other for special mention though us Coutinho, that lad is a rolls Royce of a footballer, his touch is first class, he has time when no one else around him does, his vision is superb.

Sunderland have some yard dog players though, Bardsley , who should have gone for off the ball stuff and Cattermole are just horrible shithouses.

I haven't seen the game back and not read through yet, can anyone confirm if the incidents with Coutinho and Suarez in the second half were pens?

Fans were superb before the game, Kop was a credit during

I was actually thinking the same as I saw the 'photo's and video's before the game.

It may have unsettled them to have that outside the game, but all that history will show is that we got the 3 points.

There seemed to be camera flashes coming from in the coach..

I think they would have got a lift from it but Sunderland came with a plan to sit deep and frustrate. It worked to an extent but not that well as we ground it out, that's what good sides do.

Lots of good things to take from the character the lads showed

There seemed to be camera flashes coming from in the coach..

I think they would have got a lift from it but Sunderland came with a plan to sit deep and frustrate. It worked to an extent but not that well as we ground it out, that's what good sides do.

Lots of good things to take from the character the lads showed

Yes, there are many past seasons when we would have drawn, or probably lost a game like that.

A win, is a win, is a win, is 3pts.

This is really what I mean when I say I don't feel the diamond is working. It's not the formation, it's Allen as a weak link. There must be someone else in the squad we can stick in there when playing that formation?

That's pretty tough on Allen, it was more about the formation. Poyet figured we go with the diamond so he set his team up to defend very narrow, you only had to look at how their centre-halves played (they rarely got outside the width of the box). They weren't too worried about us hurting them from wide areas because neither Flanno or Johnson scared them so they got bodies in front of goal and allowed to shoot from distance (see the first 30mins) or to put crosses in.

Allen did fine. What he does bring (which gets overlooked) is the ability to get us out of a high press (something they did very effectively) when we are trying to play out from the back. Another strong point of our game is the tempo at which we move the ball (only City can match it in the epl) and Allen is as good or better than most in this respect. All we are missing from him at the moment are more moments like his run and shot on goal in the first half yesterday, we've seen a few glimpses recently but they need to happen more often.

I would prefer to see us play 4-3-3 in our home games. I can see Chelsea and City really going after us in wide areas IF we play so narrow in those games.

That's pretty tough on Allen, it was more about the formation. Poyet figured we go with the diamond so he set his team up to defend very narrow, you only had to look at how their centre-halves played (they rarely got outside the width of the box). They weren't too worried about us hurting them from wide areas because neither Flanno or Johnson scared them so they got bodies in front of goal and allowed to shoot from distance (see the first 30mins) or to put crosses in.

Allen did fine. What he does bring (which gets overlooked) is the ability to get us out of a high press (something they did very effectively) when we are trying to play out from the back. Another strong point of our game is the tempo at which we move the ball (only City can match it in the epl) and Allen is as good or better than most in this respect. All we are missing from him at the moment are more moments like his run and shot on goal in the first half yesterday, we've seen a few glimpses recently but they need to happen more often.

I would prefer to see us play 4-3-3 in our home games. I can see Chelsea and City really going after us in wide areas IF we play so narrow in those games.

I agree with that Scott

Allen played well first half yesterday when we were dictating the pace as we wanted, he takes it in in any situation, he sees where peoples runs are and can shift it to them with one or two quick touches to put them in.
He struggled a bit more second half because all the pace simply went from the game and players weren't running beyond him or around him, it became very stagnant and he had to take more touches or force something.

Both full backs last night actually did their defensive work very well for me but didn't add anything going forward which you rely on with the diamond.
Sunderland were so narrow though that at all times the overlapping full back was doubled up on and it was very difficult to find a man.

I would prefer to see us play 4-3-3 in our home games. I can see Chelsea and City really going after us in wide areas IF we play so narrow in those games.

Exactly! Navas and Nasri would be jubilant if we play so narrow. Forget City, I would want a 4-3-3 / 4-3-2-1 against Spurs, we cant take chances with Lennon, Eriksen and Sig who have oodles of pace, although I don rate the former's end product

I've said it before and will say it again, Ki is a good player and wouldn't be the worst signing to add depth to the squad! When he came on he caused us all sorts of problems and they were by far the better team, we finished the game having to cling on to the lead which is unnacceptable against Sunderland. We may as well have gift wrapped their goal and gave them a card to go with it, the markinf from Flanno was poor and was nobody anywhere near the back post. The free header from the free kick in was just as bad not long after the goal. We were unlucky not to go 3-0 up when we hit the bar but at the same time we were lucky to not be pegged back when they hit the bar moments before us.

The ref was atrocious and bottled the big decisions, Vergini should have been sent off in the first half and then not long after when he slid in late on Suarez, missed and then followed through by swinging his other leg at Suarez! Poor calls by the ref, can imagine it would have easily of been 4 had they been a man down.

On a positive note though, Coutinho had a very good game, his confidence really grew and some of his skills with the ball to leave a Sunderland player chasing shadows was boss!

We aren't going to win every game by scoring 4, 5 or 6 goals and this game showed our ability to grind out a result too and hang on in there. Sunderland have nothing to lose by going all guns blazing where as we are in a position where there will be times we have to accept we won't score another goal in the game and have to just hold on. 3 points is what matters at the end of the day and if we have 7 more wins like that this season then I'm sure we will all be over the moon!

I've said it before and will say it again, Ki is a good player and wouldn't be the worst signing to add depth to the squad! When he came on he caused us all sorts of problems and they were by far the better team, we finished the game having to cling on to the lead which is unnacceptable against Sunderland. We may as well have gift wrapped their goal and gave them a card to go with it, the markinf from Flanno was poor and was nobody anywhere near the back post. The free header from the free kick in was just as bad not long after the goal. We were unlucky not to go 3-0 up when we hit the bar but at the same time we were lucky to not be pegged back when they hit the bar moments before us.

The ref was atrocious and bottled the big decisions, Vergini should have been sent off in the first half and then not long after when he slid in late on Suarez, missed and then followed through by swinging his other leg at Suarez! Poor calls by the ref, can imagine it would have easily of been 4 had they been a man down.

On a positive note though, Coutinho had a very good game, his confidence really grew and some of his skills with the ball to leave a Sunderland player chasing shadows was boss!

We aren't going to win every game by scoring 4, 5 or 6 goals and this game showed our ability to grind out a result too and hang on in there. Sunderland have nothing to lose by going all guns blazing where as we are in a position where there will be times we have to accept we won't score another goal in the game and have to just hold on. 3 points is what matters at the end of the day and if we have 7 more wins like that this season then I'm sure we will all be over the moon!

Not really 7KK7.
My heart can't take any more like the last 14/15 minutes of the game yesterday.

I would much rather we score 2/3 in the 1st half otherwise I would have to go on a ventilator (like yesterday) just to be able to breath.

Hadn't seen this before...fantastic.

Liverpool fans greet the players' coach: "We're gonna win the League"

Hadn't seen this before...fantastic.

Liverpool fans greet the players' coach: "We're gonna win the League"

I was stood there with Cas and Semps last night mate.

Atmosphere was great pre game

.  The one thing I'll say though is those are the types if games we wouldn't have won in the last few years, we would have drawn 1-1 or even lost 1-0 and just ended up frustrated, but this side is different, we couldn't blow them away as they just wouldn't come out but we kept probing and playing our football.   

Couldn't agree more.

I would really like our fans to stop signing "we're going to win the league." Wouldn't you?

I would really like our fans to stop signing "we're going to win the league." Wouldn't you?

No.

I wish they were able to sing it more and have reason to sing it.

Belief. 

I would really like our fans to stop signing "we're going to win the league." Wouldn't you?

Why?

Footballs about enjoying yourself, letting go, believing.. Backing the lads, lifting them..

It's great to be involved in it and being able to sing ...

Were gonna win the league

I've said it before and will say it again, Ki is a good player and wouldn't be the worst signing to add depth to the squad! When he came on he caused us all sorts of problems and they were by far the better team, we finished the game having to cling on to the lead which is unnacceptable against Sunderland. We may as well have gift wrapped their goal and gave them a card to go with it, the markinf from Flanno was poor and was nobody anywhere near the back post. The free header from the free kick in was just as bad not long after the goal. We were unlucky not to go 3-0 up when we hit the bar but at the same time we were lucky to not be pegged back when they hit the bar moments before us.

The ref was atrocious and bottled the big decisions, Vergini should have been sent off in the first half and then not long after when he slid in late on Suarez, missed and then followed through by swinging his other leg at Suarez! Poor calls by the ref, can imagine it would have easily of been 4 had they been a man down.

On a positive note though, Coutinho had a very good game, his confidence really grew and some of his skills with the ball to leave a Sunderland player chasing shadows was boss!

We aren't going to win every game by scoring 4, 5 or 6 goals and this game showed our ability to grind out a result too and hang on in there. Sunderland have nothing to lose by going all guns blazing where as we are in a position where there will be times we have to accept we won't score another goal in the game and have to just hold on. 3 points is what matters at the end of the day and if we have 7 more wins like that this season then I'm sure we will all be over the moon!

Totally agree about Ki, looks a very good strong midfielder, I think he'd add to the squad, maybe we can do a swap deal with Allen, who despite having an ok game yesterday just doesn't seem to have that special something that midfielders need at the top flight.

I would really like our fans to stop signing "we're going to win the league." Wouldn't you?

No.

When Liverpool are one point off the top at the end of March, and just won at home, what would you suggest they sing?

"We Might Just Win The League, If Other Results Go For Us, We're Not Being Overconfident And Know We Have Possibly The WEakest Squad Of Our Nearest Rivals, LALALALALALALALALA!"

I would really like our fans to stop signing "we're going to win the league." Wouldn't you?

Ha.
Oh dear.

With all the dodging of the question of a title challenge over the last few interviews the team were
left in no illusion upon their arrival at Anfield yesterday.

THE FANS BELIEVE.

I was stood there with Cas and Semps last night mate.

Atmosphere was great pre game

Would have been a cracking atmosphere bud and standing next to Cas and Semps would have made it even more special.