Basel 1 - 0 Liverpool: In Game & Post Game Wonderings (again).

What annoyed me quite a fair few times during the match was players like Raheem, Balo and Coutinho having the ball at their feet, passes could have been made to the left or right but they f**king held onto the ball and ended up giving it away in our final third. Pass the f**king ball you greedy cu*ts.

Well, you are going to love Sturridge then.

Usually after a night to sleep on it, you wake with a bit more of a rational head and take the good points from a game before you move on.

Not this time. Im not sure what I find more distressing;

Rodgers continually getting his tactics wrong. His complete change of tactics last season. His persistence with 1 up top. His playing a full starting 11 when the league should be our priority.

The defences continual mistakes. Playing the man as opposed to the ball.

The lack of pace in our game - Markovic, Sterling, Manquillo, Coutinho and Balotelli are all meant to be bullets. Not one of them looked like it last night, and certainly didnt play that fast game together.

The lack of Pressing done by the players. Seriously like. Hunt in numbers high up the pitch? Where has that gone? Forget about new players bedding in - this was a philosophy last season and we have completely lost it.

The lack of control, passing and moving. Unreal. We played so well with the 3 man triangle last season, everyone moving into a position that ALWAYS provided a pass for the player on the ball and more likely than not a 1 touch pass. Recycling the ball when the pass was not on. Where? We are now hoofing the ball uptop and losing it continually. Is this because Balo is meant to be a great hold up player? GOD AWFUL tactic.

The lack of Goals. We are apparently creating the 2nd most chances and our conversion rate is horrendous. Yes we have Sturridge injured but we knew that would happen. Borini was meant to be sold so he is non existent. Lambert is awful whether that is due to his mindset or lack of talent I cant tell yet. Looks like a Mid table team player at best. Balo is awful. He does nothing well and we do nothing well with him as a target man. Yes he may take time to come up to speed but he is and has always been a 1 in 3/4 goals per game player. Shocking for what we need to get top 4. Where are the Sterling, Hendo, Lallana, Gerrard and our CBs contributions? All our hopes are riding on Studge.

We are at a cross roads here - 1 more game like that and we will have so much work to do to get top 4. Top 4 this year is more important than last year. Its treble the prize money for CL. We will not get back in if we don't get there this year. That is exactly why UTD have shelled out 200Trillion on players they wouldnt have got. It pains me to say it but we are fu**ed if they get CL ahead of us.

What do we do? Go back to everything we did last season. Seriously like. Forget hoof ball. Play we disregard and pace. Hunt in packs. Pass and move. Counter. Want to win every ball and every game. Tempo Tempo Tempo. And if you cant do that then F**k OFF.

FURIOUS at every part of that team down to the groundsmen for f**king up what was so hard to rebuild.

Ye I know some of the above is an over reaction but F**k IT. I'm fuming!

Good post.

I don't understad BR's persistence of playing Balotelli on his own up front. That is never going to work. We have seen it already in the last few games.

Playing Sterling along side Balotellu doesn't work. He is best suited behind the front two.

Why not play two up front - Balotelli - (god forbid) Borini or Balotelli and Lambert? What has he got to lose? He should have brought on Lambert early in the 2nd half to give him a chance. OK. I understand, that Balotelli and Lambert are similar but what the heck - do something different to get a goal.

BR is putting all his eggs in one basket - Sturridge. Very dangerous thing to do. We know Sturridge gets injured regularly.

At this rate we will have to but at two strikers in January and I don't think FSG will be willing to spend big money.

Quite frankly, I don't care much about CL at this stage because we are not going to go too far (with this team). Yes, it would be nice to qualify for the next round but our priority should be top 4 in PL. At this rate, I don't think we will make top 4 unless something drastic is done.

Also, we need to find a defensive coach. Even last year, we were shipping loads of goals. BR should be practical and look at finding a different defensive coach. I know Colin Pascoe is his friend.

Rant over.

Well, you are going to love Sturridge then.

I love Sturridge already mate. He's not afraid to shoot and put it in the back of the net and if he sees a pass that's worthwhile he'll make it. Amazing how much we've missed the lad.

Good post.

I don't understad BR's persistence of playing Balotelli on his own up front. That is never going to work. We have seen it already in the last few games.

Playing Sterling along side Balotellu doesn't work. He is best suited behind the front two.

Why not play two up front - Balotelli - (god forbid) Borini or Balotelli and Lambert? What has he got to lose? He should have brought on Lambert early in the 2nd half to give him a chance. OK. I understand, that Balotelli and Lambert are similar but what the heck - do something different to get a goal.

BR is putting all his eggs in one basket - Sturridge. Very dangerous thing to do. We know Sturridge gets injured regularly.

At this rate we will have to but at two strikers in January and I don't think FSG will be willing to spend big money.

Quite frankly, I don't care much about CL at this stage because we are not going to go too far (with this team). Yes, it would be nice to qualify for the next round but our priority should be top 4 in PL. At this rate, I don't think we will make top 4 unless something drastic is done.

Iv said the same in another thread. Not qualifying from the group could save our season. Not sure why Im so angry then after last night.

Good post.

I don't understad BR's persistence of playing Balotelli on his own up front. That is never going to work. We have seen it already in the last few games.

Playing Sterling along side Balotellu doesn't work. He is best suited behind the front two.

Why not play two up front - Balotelli - (god forbid) Borini or Balotelli and Lambert? What has he got to lose? He should have brought on Lambert early in the 2nd half to give him a chance. OK. I understand, that Balotelli and Lambert are similar but what the heck - do something different to get a goal.

BR is putting all his eggs in one basket - Sturridge. Very dangerous thing to do. We know Sturridge gets injured regularly.

At this rate we will have to but at two strikers in January and I don't think FSG will be willing to spend big money.

Quite frankly, I don't care much about CL at this stage. Yes, it would be nice to qualify for the next round but our priority should be top 4 in PL. At this rate, I don't think we will make it unless something drastic is done.

Last time 2 up front we got torn to shreds by West Ham

We're having a real struggle but any team can struggle. So many of our "best in the world supporters" show themselves up time and again when there's the slightest rocky patch in form. Brendan took a calamity of a side 2 years ago and nearly won the title with them. To be questioning him on this and that is bullshit, he deserves more respect.
I think a lot of fans still resent BR because he replaced Dalglish and can't wait to put the knife in.

I remember many a season where we started slow under Rafa and came good eventually. We were spoiled last season, this season we'll have to accept its a few step backwards to go forwards. BR will get it right

Although I gave our MoM to Balo, in all honesty, in the summer we should have bought in a player of the quality of Tevez. A player who is very similar to Suarez in many ways. Maybe a thought for January?

Last time 2 up front we got torn to shreds by West Ham

We're having a real struggle but any team can struggle. So many of our "best in the world supporters" show themselves up time and again when there's the slightest rocky patch in form. Brendan took a calamity of a side 2 years ago and nearly won the title with them. To be questioning him on this and that is bullshit, he deserves more respect.
I think a lot of fans still resent BR because he replaced Dalglish and can't wait to put the knife in.

I remember many a season where we started slow under Rafa and came good eventually. We were spoiled last season, this season we'll have to accept its a few step backwards to go forwards. BR will get it right

Alfie - you are talking cr@p.

I have every right to criticise the team and the manager I support. I never said I want BR out or anything similar. I need him to change things just to see if it makes any difference. If you keep playing the same way then you will keep getting the same results - case in point last season - we kept playing the way we deed because we had the firepower (Luis) up front, not this year.

Shocking performance yesterday night absolutely shocking. Offensively we didn't have a lot of cohesion and we never looked like a threat in all honesty. Our passing was woeful at times, seemingly all our forwards were playing like Sturridge and refusing to pass the ball at times.

Defensively I thought we were awful too. Our coaches seem to equate putting bodies behind the ball to defending. We set up in 2 banks of 4 and yet there were still glaring gaps that would have been exploited by better players than our opponents last night. The balance with Stevie and Hendo together just doesn't look right and they don't offer much in terms of genuine cover for the back 4.

I think when we get back to Melwood everyone needs to sit down and review that performance and the performances we've had so far this season because it clearly hasn't been good enough. Hire Steve Clarke or another defensive coach or something just get someone in who can instill an actual structure and spine into the team. You can buy "better" defenders but if they aren't set up properly and they don't have any cover they will be exposed and we will be punished.

With that being said we are Liverpool Football Club and we can't be wallowing in our misery after a defeat. Brendan needs to sit the lads down, remind them of their responsibilities to the paying supporters who dragged their arses and their wallets from Liverpool to Switzerland and the supporters across the globe some who probably stayed up to ungodly hours in the middle of the week to watch and support their team. A performance like that is not acceptable.

Credit to Basel for their victory. But we certainly made life easy for them. Now we have to react appropriately by giving West Brom a good hiding on Saturday. YNWA

Shocked that anybody has voted for Balotelli for MOM. He was more interested in having any altercations with defenders or drinking the other teams juice bottles. Lallana got my vote. Only player who looked half arsed.

Anyway, what a terrible performance. We were sh*te all over the park. And Basel didn't look like a particularly good side to me either, they were there for the taking. 

We just don't look like scoring goals any more. What has happened to our firepower?

We are all obvious admirers of Stevie and I know he will show his class at some point this season, he always does, but he needs taking out our team for the time being. Henderson is restricted because of him - he's doing two jobs.

Haven't been impressed with Markovic one bit. Haven't even seen a small glimpse from him to suggest he has a bit of talent. Same goes for Manquillo.

Sterling needs to grow a pair and be more clinical. I said this in pre season and got slaughtered for it. But his final pass and his shooting needs much improvement if he wants to reach his true potential.

Somebody have a word with Balotelli and let him know that he is actually allowed to run in a football match. A nice first touch or some fancy hold up play doesn't make you a world class striker.

Lallana has to start every game. So does Coutinho. And the sooner Allen and Sturridge come back the better. Even Johnson!

Shocked that anybody has voted

Could have just stopped there mate. 

I couldn't bring myself to vote for anyone on that performance. 

At what point can we start to panic? This season is literally a carbon copy of 09/10...

Can't credit Basel when we were so poor that my Sunday 6 a side team would've embarrased that Liverpool "performance". Utterly embarrased. At the moment, we are playing like the worst team in the prem.

Some people call me a pessimist. But even I thought we'd sneal a 1-0 or just a 1-1.

Frankly, we were just sh*te. Everything the realists said would prob go wrong, HAS gone wrong this season.
But whats a crisis for us, is a "great success" (to quote Borat) for our esteemed captors owners.

Gerrard isn't up to it. Certainly in this system. Sterling is overworked and overburdened. Lambert is a bit of a comedy if he's anything more than "5th striker". Manquillo is very young and needs to be eased in. Mignolet is nothing special.
Henderson is ok, but far from being any form of lynchpin as of now. Markovic needs to be eased in. Coutinho shouldn't have started and has serious limitations as of now.

In particular, Balotelli is demonstrating why he is a 16m man ie slightly above Ross MacCormack in value. Its not about fitness. His footballing brain is lazy. The times he was caught off-side was very disappointing- to say the least. He just isn't that arsed by it all. Collymore, Anelka, potential but just not a winner. Ironically his best work happens ( big game finishes/penalties etc) because he looks ice cool - beaucse he just isn't that bothered. Vladimir Smicer stays on his feet better than Balojelly. And I always pictured Vladi in some court jester's uniform.. I'm rapidly joining the Graeme Sourness school of thought on Balotelli. Altho, in all honesty, I never saw him as much more than a posh bit part player, with the hope being that we'd have a Falcao or someone before the window shut.

I don't think we'll stay this sh*t all sort (big deal!) But we really are like that 80s Napoli... minus the Maradona.
Its looking like we'll return to being like a weaker version of the very early Rodgers teams.

Grim times, but we can't be surprised at any of it.

F**k me I'm 42 nearly and I've got more energy than that rabble last night.

At what point can we start to panic? This season is literally a carbon copy of 09/10...

Eh I started at West Ham. Fat Sam should NEVER manage a team that can beat Liverpool.

I red that after the end of the match Balotelli did not follow Rodgers inducement to go and congratulate the fans.
It seems, that Balo starts to get frustrated with his performances as well and that is not good for the dressing room. Especially after the leave of Agger and Reina.

Some people call me a pessimist. But even I thought we'd sneal a 1-0 or just a 1-1.

Frankly, we were just sh*te. Everything the realists said would prob go wrong, HAS gone wrong this season.
But whats a crisis for us, is a "great success" (to quote Borat) for our esteemed captors owners.

Gerrard isn't up to it. Certainly in this system. Sterling is overworked and overburdened. Lambert is a bit of a comedy if he's anything more than "5th striker". Manquillo is very young and needs to be eased in. Mignolet is nothing special.
Henderson is ok, but far from being any form of lynchpin as of now. Markovic needs to be eased in. Coutinho shouldn't have started and has serious limitations as of now.

In particular, Balotelli is demonstrating why he is a 16m man ie slightly above Ross MacCormack in value. Its not about fitness. His footballing brain is lazy. The times he was caught off-side was very disappointing- to say the least. He just isn't that arsed by it all. Collymore, Anelka, potential but just not a winner. Ironically his best work happens ( big game finishes/penalties etc) because he looks ice cool - beaucse he just isn't that bothered. Vladimir Smicer stays on his feet better than Balojelly. And I always pictured Vladi in some court jester's uniform.. I'm rapidly joining the Graeme Sourness school of thought on Balotelli. Altho, in all honesty, I never saw him as much more than a posh bit part player, with the hope being that we'd have a Falcao or someone before the window shut.

I don't think we'll stay this sh*t all sort (big deal!) But we really are like that 80s Napoli... minus the Maradona.
Its looking like we'll return to being like a weaker version of the very early Rodgers teams.

Grim times, but we can't be surprised at any of it.

I've had enough of this forum for the time being. Sick of reading knee jerk crap like this.
We're in the embryonic stages of the season and it's crisis on all fronts, BR is clueless and doesn't know what he's doing.....I'll be back in a couple months time to wipe a few folks nose in it.

I've had enough of this forum for the time being. Sick of reading knee jerk crap like this.
We're in the embryonic stages of the season and it's crisis on all fronts, BR is clueless and doesn't know what he's doing.....I'll be back in a couple months time to wipe a few folks nose in it.

Floggings will continue until morale improves mate. Tis the way of the world.

I red that after the end of the match Balotelli did not follow Rodgers inducement to go and congratulate the fans.
It seems, that Balo starts to get frustrated with his performances as well and that is not good for the dressing room. Especially after the leave of Agger and Reina.

Efharisto file mou, but your comments are always negative.
Are you on the right forum?
I don't know if Man u and LFC are easily confused in Greek lettering.

Could have just stopped there mate. 

I couldn't bring myself to vote for anyone on that performance. 

I was looking for a "None of the above" option.

Frustrating
Lethargic
Insipid
Passionless
Disorganised
Disjointed
Disinterested
Nervous

We should start changing the names on the back of the shirts to these adjectives until they earn their own names back. Nobody is improving, nobody is taking responsibility and we look an absolute mess at the moment.

The excuses are starting to wind me up "we didn't start quickly enough" is tripped out with regularity at the moment and that's simply not enough. The start doesn't equate to the whole match, yes you can set the tone but blaming the start for how you perform for the rest really is reaching.

Too many players stayed out there for too long playing awfully. If this was our advert for more supporters to join up then we'd be better off running a charity as people would be willing to donate sympathy money after watching that shower last night.

Not good enough in any area of the pitch, sort it out before our season becomes an absolute nightmare.

Skrtel playing the man and not the ball, yet again, one of the reasons I wish we'd persisted with Sakho and Lovren, which unfortunately isn't available at present and some poor final third work, Balotelli playing as an individual and not a part of the team, YET, Markovic making some awful decisions, which is an area that will improve and the player on Sterling had a stormer of a game.  Add to all this they don't seem to have formed an understanding within our front players and with the midfield yet, many times a great run wasn't met with the incisive pass, something that Coutinho was closer to getting than anyone else.  Hoping this is just a time and patience thing, rather than a compatibility issue

Playing like strangers, one up front isn't working, Sterling has too much on his shoulders but needs to be more central, Gerrard and Hendo don't work in a 2, BR seems to getting a stubborn streak...