Real Madrid 1-0 Liverpool: In game and Post Match Debate

I can see Lallana getting a few goals.

If he ever gets off the bench mate

Truthfully I forgot about him!

Voted Borini for MOTM because I really don't think there is much more he could have done to help the team.  He varied his runs -- came short, threatened in behind, and ran down everything to help relieve pressure; most of his link up play with his teammates was spot on; and he did a fair bit of harrying and tracking back on the defensive side too.  It is high praise that I don't think Benzema (Madrid's match winner) would have faired any better had he been our lone striker tonight. 

I could just as easily have voted Migs, Toure, or Lucas as MOTM.  Likewise, I thought Moreno, Lallana, and Can were all excellent.  The only player I was left disappointed by was Allen, but overall I was very pleased with the performance we put in tonight. 

Great effort IMO  gave MOTM to Toure ,after watching at Newcastle on Saturday I feared for Liverpool going here we were that poor.

Its all about Saturday now , we have to take something from the Chelsea game 3 points would give us a huge lift going into our supposedly easier games

Gerrard needs to be used as an impact player, playing higher up the pitch.
unfortunately, BR persisting with Gerrard as DM will be his downfall. Whenever Gerrard plays as  DM we play slower.
Whenever Gerrard takes the ball deeper than the 2 CBs we have 1 less player in midfield and the CBs are nullified. It is like playing 1 man down.
Stevie cannot be an automatic starter, not in a team fighting for top 4.
I do not blame Stevie for this. He loves the club and wants to play every game.  He is a proud competitor and a legend.
The gaffer is ultimately the guy responsible. He needs to act or this will be his downfall.

Good to know others still think we are good supporters! The support shown by some fans of late has not been exemplary.

YNWA

Thankfully our away supporters could be heard then! They were great.

Didnt watch a minute of it but it sounds like we played well. I might even watch the replay tonight. It's been a while since I've witnessed a good Liverpool performance, even though it didn't end the way we wanted it to.

personally, I didn't think we played 'well'.  anytime 1) we don't win and 2) we don't score, we really cant say we played well. We played the best we could given the players and form we are in.  Real Madrid were soundly the better team.  They passed better, moved up the ball better and deserved more than that lone goal.  Migs imo was a good reason for that.  it could've been 2-0 Madrid within the first 10 mins easily.  just look at the final tally of attempts for them vs us and it'll give you a better idea of the game

however, game ended only 1-0 so that is definitely good for our team to build on.  The energy throughout the team did improve... I like borini up front more than the options we have atm.  here is his chance to show us he deserves a spot

I hate being all doom and gloom because I really am not like that haha.... but for the first time in my 3x years of being a Liverpool fan... I truly felt we were the 'smaller team'  now I have a better feeling what fans of teams like Cardiff / Watford etc etc feel like when we play them. 

MOTM to me has to be lallana.  he was real quality...at times he was really keeping our lads together and he was all over the pitch harassing Madrid players or helping to build on a counter

allen and markovic were the two poorest players for me.  allen just doesn't add much to our side.  lets face it, the lad is a decent player but his skillset just isn't even for us. loses the ball cheaply..gets muscled off it easily.. some really sloppy passing as well. Markovic also loses the ball so easily and even though I am starting to see some of his speed... finally, his stamina / endurance just isn't there.  both him and allen needs to do more core exercises to build strength

last shout out goes to migs. on one end he made some great saves. on the other hand... WOWthe guy had the balls to dribble pass Ronaldo and benzema....one minor mess up there would be a goal for them.  he worries me with his feet. waist up I am good with

Emre Can really should start as often as possible. Really the only player tonight who I thought was poor was Joe Allen

Hearing all these so-called analysts on ITV and Sky just drills home the fact that a lot of them don't even watch our games.  If they had watched our games, they would know that our side in fact is NOT stronger with Stevie, Lovren, Balotelli etc, so dropping them wasn't necessarily fielding a "weaker side."  Not at all.  In fact I think we played much better last night, much better movement, much better forward link up play, than we have all season, save away at Spurs.  They just "assume" that if Stevie isn't playing, if Balotelli isn't playing, if the 20m pound fiasco Lovren isn't playing, that it means the side is "weaker."

In fact we showed last night that we're actually much BETTER without them.

When has Lucas form really dropped? It's when he is asked to play next to Stevie!

He is a DM play him there or don't bother.

See the thing is Rodgers doesnt want a conventional DM, he wants recyclers of the ball. He tries stick Hendo beside Gerrard to do all the running so Gerrard can get the ball moving forward. I think his ideal is to have Gerrard with Allen and Hendo all rotating in and around the defensive/creative side of the game. Doesnt work. The two teams in the league with the most defensive errors so far are Arsenal and Liverpool, neither of which have a true DM. Not a coincidence.

Move Gerrard forward on sat and play Lucas as the DM. He offers a lot more protection to our defense, who lets face it NEED it badly. Set pieces look to be being defended better so if we can help them with the counter/offensive attacks then we should stop conceding so many goals.

How does one improve the attacking line though when the DM isnt getting the ball forward quick enough and then the transitions break down. Its a fine line between right and wrong.

Hearing all these so-called analysts on ITV and Sky just drills home the fact that a lot of them don't even watch our games.  If they had watched our games, they would know that our side in fact is NOT stronger with Stevie, Lovren, Balotelli etc, so dropping them wasn't necessarily fielding a "weaker side."  Not at all.  In fact I think we played much better last night, much better movement, much better forward link up play, than we have all season, save away at Spurs.  They just "assume" that if Stevie isn't playing, if Balotelli isn't playing, if the 20m pound fiasco Lovren isn't playing, that it means the side is "weaker."

In fact we showed last night that we're actually much BETTER without them.

I agree with this somewhat. I think our attacking play left a lot to be desired but that was mainly due to the lack of a class Striker. I think with Studge we would have done really well. Also I think that side with Stevie instead of Joe Allen though would be much better. I would not mind is playing a midfield three of Can, Lucas, Stevie with Stevie furthest forward vs Chelsea. I also think we need to find a way to get Coutinho, Lallana, and Sterling all on the field together. Either that or use Sterling or Countinho as a sub.

Hearing all these so-called analysts on ITV and Sky just drills home the fact that a lot of them don't even watch our games.  If they had watched our games, they would know that our side in fact is NOT stronger with Stevie, Lovren, Balotelli etc, so dropping them wasn't necessarily fielding a "weaker side."  Not at all.  In fact I think we played much better last night, much better movement, much better forward link up play, than we have all season, save away at Spurs.  They just "assume" that if Stevie isn't playing, if Balotelli isn't playing, if the 20m pound fiasco Lovren isn't playing, that it means the side is "weaker."

In fact we showed last night that we're actually much BETTER without them.

Is right.

However you just knoe Lovren and Balotelli will get back into the side with ease.

Sometimes you just have to accept things and be real (no pun intended), and painful as it is at the time look at it logically. Even though we did well last night and although we give or take matched their formation man for man, all ten of their outfield players are currently comfortably better than ours which are on view. All ten.

Marcello is currently a better player than Moreno, comfortably.

Veran different class to Skrtel.

Ramos obviously different league to Toure.

Arbeloa miles better than Manquilo.

Kroos and Modric, would you replace either with Can or Lucas?

Isco (what a footballer he is that boy), Ronaldo, James Rodriguez. Anyone fancy swapping one of them for Allen, Lallana or Marcovic?

Benzema or Borini, you decide.

Even the subs, Gareth Bale is different league to any of ours.




So given all of that, it WAS a good effort from the team. Particularly when we have been so poor recently I think it is reasonable to say well done to the lads that played, and to the manager. As for the team selection and the criticism it received I have a question, would it have made a massive difference to proceedings if we'd got a goal and drawn rather than lost? I know a win would have been fantastic, but a draw wouldn't have helped us THAT much would it?   

I think if you stick Lovren in that team last night we do ok too. Im of the opinion (well aware most people do not share this opinion) that he is actually a decent centre half who is just playing really badly. Offer him the protection from Lucas and the new defensive tactic against set pieces where himself and Skrtel are pure ball winners and I think we will see a much stronger Lovren.

With Stevie operating in the deep lying MF role, the defense has literally no protection. This isnt the reason we have conceded so many goals - but fixing set pieces, which I believe we are - will sort this also.

but a draw wouldn't have helped us THAT much would it?   

Ye that one point could turn out to be the difference. As it stands we have to beat both Basel and Ludogorets. That will sit us on 9. Basel are on 6 now. They lose to Real (Hopefully) and we draw with them then they go through on GD. That point would have meant we went through.

Ye that one point could turn out to be the difference. As it stands we have to beat both Basel and Ludogorets. That will sit us on 9. Basel are on 6 now. They lose to Real (Hopefully) and we draw with them then they go through on GD. That point would have meant we went through.

Saying that, Studge will be back and what a night we will be in for at Anfield against Basel if it does come down to that. Must win against Ludo and if Real take all 3 points that night then its in our hands. Beat Basel and we will win this cup! Ha

Didn't see it, how did Markovic play ? please tell me he showed something, anything...?

Saying that, Studge will be back and what a night we will be in for at Anfield against Basel if it does come down to that. Must win against Ludo and if Real take all 3 points that night then its in our hands. Beat Basel and we will win this cup! Ha

If we can't beat those two we don't deserve to go through.

Didn't see it, how did Markovic play ? please tell me he showed something, anything...?

Showed glimmers and flashes of a player there. One great run where he ran with the ball from our half dribbled past a couple only to be halted by a cynical foul. Also put in a decent defensive stint.
In fact we lost something when Sterling replaced him - hope that answers your question.

If we can't beat those two we don't deserve to go through.

If we cant beat Newcastle do we deserve CL? Competitions aren't defined on one or 2 games - in this case they will be. ha

Didn't see it, how did Markovic play ? please tell me he showed something, anything...?

No conviction which stems from no confidence. Not seeing this world beater for pace either. Ramos and Varane had him for pace every time. Think he may be really fast when he gets going but his acceleration is on par with Kolo's (Kidding but it is slow).

Anyone listen to Zinedine Kilbane last night? Apparently Yaya was playing for us.... we wish!