Liverpool 1:2 Chelsea. In game and post match déjà vu.

I know he has Debs and he was a fantastic RB but not a chance in hell Brendan will 'ask' Stevie to play there.

He plays DM and that's that.

What do you mean that's that?? Do we just accept a crap DM and defence then. Why can't people see that Stevie is a big part of the problem, as captain he should be getting the lads organised and motivated, but that does not seem to be happening. As a player he should be contributing positively to the team, something which he is not doing at the moment, yes it might be becuase he no longer has Suarez and/or Sturridge but given that that is the situation, why play him? and before anyone asks play Lucas or Can instead.

What do you mean that's that?? Do we just accept a crap DM and defence then. Why can't people see that Stevie is a big part of the problem, as captain he should be getting the lads organised and motivated, but that does not seem to be happening. As a player he should be contributing positively to the team, something which he is not doing at the moment, yes it might be becuase he no longer has Suarez and/or Sturridge but given that that is the situation, why play him? and before anyone asks play Lucas or Can instead.

I don't think anyone is accepting it, just look how many threads there focusing on Stevie.

What do you mean that's that??

How I think Brendan and Stevie see it.

How I think Brendan and Stevie see it.

And therein lies the problem.

Let me ask something... who was the best midfielder out or Dietmar Hamann  and Xabi Alonso?

Let me ask something... who was the best midfielder out or Dietmar Hamann  and Xabi Alonso?

As a defensive midfielder or even all round midfielder Hamann, as a deep lying playmaker Xabi.

As a defensive midfielder or even all round midfielder Hamann, as a deep lying playmaker Xabi.

Good way of putting it, knowledge gained, thank you s@int.
 Soz mods,  I asked this question here, I don't want to create another thread and this was fast moving hence why I did it.

This should be read.


                                                                                                     Not just a match report ...... more an epitaph.

If Chelsea came to park the bus at Anfield last April, they should have left Merseyside in an open-top one given the gulf now between Jose Mourinho’s side and the other title pretenders.Chelsea will waltz to the title by Easter, coveting favourable comparisons with previous Mourinho teams, and victories at Anfield are a barometer.

Mourinho courts the role of pantomime villain in this arena, but by full-time on Saturday The Kop was directing so much fury at the Liverpool team he must not have recognised the place.

This was a fractious afternoon, Brendan Rodgers’ approval rating dipping as despair about the quality of Liverpool’s squad morphed into rage.
Liverpool finished above Chelsea last season, but they had Luis Suárez then. Their response to his exit has been the equivalent of removing the engine from a sports car and adding nine pedals.

This was a meeting between a club that knows what it is doing in the transfer market, and another that is at best naive and at worst looks incompetent.
Mourinho did not speak about Liverpool’s failings, but the eulogy about his own club must be underlined.
“We got players to improve the team, not the squad,” he said.

Chelsea added two top-class internationals for £60 million to go from third to first, £60 million less than Liverpool paid for their nine recruits to go from second back to mid-table.

The difference is quality of personnel, not only of those bought but those trusted with doing the buying.


Liverpool evidently saw being two points off the title as the perfect foundation for another period of transition. The club must be in love with evolution, thus ensuring every success they have had in the last 20 years can be presented as ahead of schedule.

It is a bluff disguising gargantuan transfer blunders.
This failure of recruitment puts value on keeping a light at the end of the tunnel instead of grasping the opportunity to fully emerge from darkness.

If Liverpool owner John W Henry wanted a box of matches, his transfer committee would convince him it made more sense to invest in acorns for a giant oak. “There might not be any flames now, John, but give it a few years and think how many bonfires we’ll be lighting then.”


The natural conclusion is Liverpool are not only incapable of keeping their best players – see Xabi Alonso, Javier Mascherano, Fernando Torres and Suárez – but can no longer sign players of similar repute.
Costa, Alexis Sánchez, Willian, Radamel Falcao, Edinson Cavani, Henrik Mkhitaryan are just a few of those Liverpool courted but could not lure. “If someone offers them more money to go to London, there is not much you can do about that,” said Rodgers.

This is not solely for the Liverpool manager to explain, nor is it a recent problem.
The biggest reason for the club’s dips since 1991 is lousy recruitment, from Graeme Souness through to the latter years of Gérard Houllier and Rafael Benítez to the Damien Comolli £100 million vanity project of 2011 he is still laughably justifying.

Of the 19 signings made by the Liverpool Transfer Committee, only the first two – Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge – would get into a top-four side.
The next time anyone at Anfield moans about Financial Fair Play and clubs buying titles, they should be reminded it is not how much you have that counts ..... but how you spend it.



[/next]
--------------


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool/11219526/Chelsea-already-looking-like-champions-as-they-pile-pressure-on-Liverpool-with-victory-at-Anfield.html

The above puts some things in perspective.
Anyone know our total spending in the past 5 years? Not net spending, i dont give a rats ass about it, i just want to know how much money we paid for players.

The above puts some things in perspective.
Anyone know our total spending in the past 5 years? Not net spending, i dont give a rats ass about it, i just want to know how much money we paid for players.

£352million gross  http://www.transferleague.co.uk/league-tables/transfer-league-table-last-five-seasons.html

This should be read.


                                                                                                     Not just a match report ...... more an epitaph.

If Chelsea came to park the bus at Anfield last April, they should have left Merseyside in an open-top one given the gulf now between Jose Mourinho’s side and the other title pretenders.Chelsea will waltz to the title by Easter, coveting favourable comparisons with previous Mourinho teams, and victories at Anfield are a barometer.

Mourinho courts the role of pantomime villain in this arena, but by full-time on Saturday The Kop was directing so much fury at the Liverpool team he must not have recognised the place.

This was a fractious afternoon, Brendan Rodgers’ approval rating dipping as despair about the quality of Liverpool’s squad morphed into rage.
Liverpool finished above Chelsea last season, but they had Luis Suárez then. Their response to his exit has been the equivalent of removing the engine from a sports car and adding nine pedals.

This was a meeting between a club that knows what it is doing in the transfer market, and another that is at best naive and at worst looks incompetent.
Mourinho did not speak about Liverpool’s failings, but the eulogy about his own club must be underlined.
“We got players to improve the team, not the squad,” he said.

Chelsea added two top-class internationals for £60 million to go from third to first, £60 million less than Liverpool paid for their nine recruits to go from second back to mid-table.

The difference is quality of personnel, not only of those bought but those trusted with doing the buying.


Liverpool evidently saw being two points off the title as the perfect foundation for another period of transition. The club must be in love with evolution, thus ensuring every success they have had in the last 20 years can be presented as ahead of schedule.

It is a bluff disguising gargantuan transfer blunders.
This failure of recruitment puts value on keeping a light at the end of the tunnel instead of grasping the opportunity to fully emerge from darkness.

If Liverpool owner John W Henry wanted a box of matches, his transfer committee would convince him it made more sense to invest in acorns for a giant oak. “There might not be any flames now, John, but give it a few years and think how many bonfires we’ll be lighting then.”


The natural conclusion is Liverpool are not only incapable of keeping their best players – see Xabi Alonso, Javier Mascherano, Fernando Torres and Suárez – but can no longer sign players of similar repute.
Costa, Alexis Sánchez, Willian, Radamel Falcao, Edinson Cavani, Henrik Mkhitaryan are just a few of those Liverpool courted but could not lure. “If someone offers them more money to go to London, there is not much you can do about that,” said Rodgers.

This is not solely for the Liverpool manager to explain, nor is it a recent problem.
The biggest reason for the club’s dips since 1991 is lousy recruitment, from Graeme Souness through to the latter years of Gérard Houllier and Rafael Benítez to the Damien Comolli £100 million vanity project of 2011 he is still laughably justifying.

Of the 19 signings made by the Liverpool Transfer Committee, only the first two – Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge – would get into a top-four side.
The next time anyone at Anfield moans about Financial Fair Play and clubs buying titles, they should be reminded it is not how much you have that counts ..... but how you spend it.



[/next]
--------------


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool/11219526/Chelsea-already-looking-like-champions-as-they-pile-pressure-on-Liverpool-with-victory-at-Anfield.html

Jesus h christ that is one depressing read  but sadly fckin spot on .

Bellend ?

Who?  Bad Boy ?


Oh I see .... tried.... it doesn't  censure.
Need to promote that one to the mods ....if you intend using it often.
Better get your hashtags back in use RR.

 

This should be read.


                                                                                                     Not just a match report ...... more an epitaph.

If Chelsea came to park the bus at Anfield last April, they should have left Merseyside in an open-top one given the gulf now between Jose Mourinho’s side and the other title pretenders.Chelsea will waltz to the title by Easter, coveting favourable comparisons with previous Mourinho teams, and victories at Anfield are a barometer.

Mourinho courts the role of pantomime villain in this arena, but by full-time on Saturday The Kop was directing so much fury at the Liverpool team he must not have recognised the place.

This was a fractious afternoon, Brendan Rodgers’ approval rating dipping as despair about the quality of Liverpool’s squad morphed into rage.
Liverpool finished above Chelsea last season, but they had Luis Suárez then. Their response to his exit has been the equivalent of removing the engine from a sports car and adding nine pedals.

This was a meeting between a club that knows what it is doing in the transfer market, and another that is at best naive and at worst looks incompetent.
Mourinho did not speak about Liverpool’s failings, but the eulogy about his own club must be underlined.
“We got players to improve the team, not the squad,” he said.

Chelsea added two top-class internationals for £60 million to go from third to first, £60 million less than Liverpool paid for their nine recruits to go from second back to mid-table.

The difference is quality of personnel, not only of those bought but those trusted with doing the buying.


Liverpool evidently saw being two points off the title as the perfect foundation for another period of transition. The club must be in love with evolution, thus ensuring every success they have had in the last 20 years can be presented as ahead of schedule.

It is a bluff disguising gargantuan transfer blunders.
This failure of recruitment puts value on keeping a light at the end of the tunnel instead of grasping the opportunity to fully emerge from darkness.

If Liverpool owner John W Henry wanted a box of matches, his transfer committee would convince him it made more sense to invest in acorns for a giant oak. “There might not be any flames now, John, but give it a few years and think how many bonfires we’ll be lighting then.”


The natural conclusion is Liverpool are not only incapable of keeping their best players – see Xabi Alonso, Javier Mascherano, Fernando Torres and Suárez – but can no longer sign players of similar repute.
Costa, Alexis Sánchez, Willian, Radamel Falcao, Edinson Cavani, Henrik Mkhitaryan are just a few of those Liverpool courted but could not lure. “If someone offers them more money to go to London, there is not much you can do about that,” said Rodgers.

This is not solely for the Liverpool manager to explain, nor is it a recent problem.
The biggest reason for the club’s dips since 1991 is lousy recruitment, from Graeme Souness through to the latter years of Gérard Houllier and Rafael Benítez to the Damien Comolli £100 million vanity project of 2011 he is still laughably justifying.

Of the 19 signings made by the Liverpool Transfer Committee, only the first two – Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge – would get into a top-four side.
The next time anyone at Anfield moans about Financial Fair Play and clubs buying titles, they should be reminded it is not how much you have that counts ..... but how you spend it.



[/next]
--------------


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool/11219526/Chelsea-already-looking-like-champions-as-they-pile-pressure-on-Liverpool-with-victory-at-Anfield.html

This article is spot on and sums up what I mean by wholesale changes are needed rather than simply sacking the manager. We've tried that seven times and it still hasn't won us a title. Time to look for alternate solutions. When we finish outside the top four again this season - and I firmly believe it is 'when', not 'if' - the club needs to sit down and do some serious introspection.

£352 million spend in 60 months
FFS !

This should be read.


                                                                                                     Not just a match report ...... more an epitaph.

If Chelsea came to park the bus at Anfield last April, they should have left Merseyside in an open-top one given the gulf now between Jose Mourinho’s side and the other title pretenders.Chelsea will waltz to the title by Easter, coveting favourable comparisons with previous Mourinho teams, and victories at Anfield are a barometer.

Mourinho courts the role of pantomime villain in this arena, but by full-time on Saturday The Kop was directing so much fury at the Liverpool team he must not have recognised the place.

This was a fractious afternoon, Brendan Rodgers’ approval rating dipping as despair about the quality of Liverpool’s squad morphed into rage.
Liverpool finished above Chelsea last season, but they had Luis Suárez then. Their response to his exit has been the equivalent of removing the engine from a sports car and adding nine pedals.

This was a meeting between a club that knows what it is doing in the transfer market, and another that is at best naive and at worst looks incompetent.
Mourinho did not speak about Liverpool’s failings, but the eulogy about his own club must be underlined.
“We got players to improve the team, not the squad,” he said.

Chelsea added two top-class internationals for £60 million to go from third to first, £60 million less than Liverpool paid for their nine recruits to go from second back to mid-table.

The difference is quality of personnel, not only of those bought but those trusted with doing the buying.


Liverpool evidently saw being two points off the title as the perfect foundation for another period of transition. The club must be in love with evolution, thus ensuring every success they have had in the last 20 years can be presented as ahead of schedule.

It is a bluff disguising gargantuan transfer blunders.
This failure of recruitment puts value on keeping a light at the end of the tunnel instead of grasping the opportunity to fully emerge from darkness.

If Liverpool owner John W Henry wanted a box of matches, his transfer committee would convince him it made more sense to invest in acorns for a giant oak. “There might not be any flames now, John, but give it a few years and think how many bonfires we’ll be lighting then.”


The natural conclusion is Liverpool are not only incapable of keeping their best players – see Xabi Alonso, Javier Mascherano, Fernando Torres and Suárez – but can no longer sign players of similar repute.
Costa, Alexis Sánchez, Willian, Radamel Falcao, Edinson Cavani, Henrik Mkhitaryan are just a few of those Liverpool courted but could not lure. “If someone offers them more money to go to London, there is not much you can do about that,” said Rodgers.

This is not solely for the Liverpool manager to explain, nor is it a recent problem.
The biggest reason for the club’s dips since 1991 is lousy recruitment, from Graeme Souness through to the latter years of Gérard Houllier and Rafael Benítez to the Damien Comolli £100 million vanity project of 2011 he is still laughably justifying.

Of the 19 signings made by the Liverpool Transfer Committee, only the first two – Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge – would get into a top-four side.
The next time anyone at Anfield moans about Financial Fair Play and clubs buying titles, they should be reminded it is not how much you have that counts ..... but how you spend it.



[/next]
--------------


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool/11219526/Chelsea-already-looking-like-champions-as-they-pile-pressure-on-Liverpool-with-victory-at-Anfield.html

Hard to ignore the points made there.....

Hard to ignore the points made there.....

... and there are a few.

It seems pretty clear that some on here are flapping about and have no idea what the hell they are talking about. Move Stevie here, move him there, drop him etc etc...
I agree that at the moment we have problems but don't think it's to do with individual players, we need to play as a team, defend as a team and treat every game as a war and dig in, that is what the prem is all about.
Stevie could not do the job of a modern day right back, he is positioned as a deep play making midfielder because he can't do box to box anymore, so to put him as right back going up and down the flank, attacking and defending? come on, think about it.

Laughable the lengths people will go to shoehorn Gerrard into the team, how about treating him like every other player who has ever worn the famous red shirt.
Your form is horrible son have some time on the bench to think about it.

Back from the game.  One of the worst performances I have witnessed at Anfield in recent years.

Loud boos from the Kop when Emre Can and Coutinho were taken off - Can was by far the best player on the pitch.  Hugely disappointed that Balotelli et al were brought back - proves that Rodgers midweek statements about not resting players was complete bullshit.

Looks pretty simple to me - if Rodgers continues to play one target man up front - continues to play Gerrard in a position that does nothing for us - and continues to play the members of the squad that are underperforming - Liverpool will finish about 7th or 8th and Rodgers will get the sack.  Don't want that to happen but he is continuing to sign his own death warrant at LFC.

+1

It seems pretty clear that some on here are flapping about and have no idea what the hell they are talking about. Move Stevie here, move him there, drop him etc etc...
I agree that at the moment we have problems but don't think it's to do with individual players, we need to play as a team, defend as a team and treat every game as a war and dig in, that is what the prem is all about.
Stevie could not do the job of a modern day right back, he is positioned as a deep play making midfielder because he can't do box to box anymore, so to put him as right back going up and down the flank, attacking and defending? come on, think about it.

I'm not flapping and I do know what I'm talking about thanks.

Of course it has a lot to do with individual players. Why keep playing certain players who aren't performing?

So would you persistently play Henderson, like Rodgers has been doing this season? Because I would have dropped him 6 games ago.

I'd move Stevie to RB for the time being for two reasons.

1. He is an awful DM.
2. Johnson and Manquillo are both sh*t.

So we'd naturally be stronger in two positions.

RB's don't necessarily need pace either or have to bomb up and down the pitch for 90mins. We are badly missing Flanno and he isn't blessed with pace or gets to the byline does he?

As I said, the modern day full back, wing back, does need to get forward and then get back again, so Stevie is a no no. Johnson has experience but is lacking and Maquillo is pulled out of position too much and wingers do get behind him. But Stevie is not the answer.
Henderson was integral last season and was blinding, he hasn't quite shown it this season but is our work horse. Stevie? I would stick him on the right of midfield. When I say it has nothing to do with individuals, what I mean is we must start playing as a team, at the moment we are not.

That's myth. The vast majority of full backs aren't quicker than any other player in their team. It obviously helps if they have pace, its not necessary though.

The only time Stevie would struggle at RB is if he came up against somebody like Bale who would smoke him all game. There aren't that many wingers in the prem who have that pace and play that way though.

I'm also baffled how you say Gerrard is too slow to play at RB but quick enough to play at RM? Im presuming you would have him play a bit like Beckham did - control, look up, whip the ball in the box.

I can't see that happening in a Rodgers team though, can you?

I didn't say Gerrard was too slow to play right back (if all he is going to do is defend) it is the energy required in the modern game to be play in that position. We obviously disagree on the amount of energy and stamina that is needed to play there.

Using Flanno as an example, I wouldn't associate words like energy, stamina or pace with him.

I still think he did a good job for us last season though and I think we are really missing him now.

Using Flanno as an example, I wouldn't associate words like energy, stamina or pace with him.

I'd certainly attribute two of those three to Flanagan and I've heard that's not bad.

Using Flanno as an example, I wouldn't associate words like energy, stamina or pace with him.

I still think he did a good job for us last season though and I think we are really missing him now.

Rather a contradiction mate in the sense that we are missing those very facets - energy, pace and stamina and you admit yourself Flanagan's qualities are also missed.
His stamina and energy cannot be doubted while his pace is ''acceptable''- his involvement in any of our recent encounters would have been a Godsend.