Burnley 0:1 Liverpool. In game & post match smash and grab.

It's a problem I and many others saw coming. The problem with going out spending in the transfer window with the mindset of "bolstering the squad" is a disaster waiting to happen. You are suggesting that you will bring in players of similar quality to the ones you already have. It suggests that you are currently happy with the standard of quality your players already possess. It's wrong on so many levels. It causes a selection issue - not always a good problem to have either.

Lovren, Moreno, Lallana, Markovic, Balotelli and Lambert have hardly improved our team, if at all. Our squad is supposedly bolstered, but I'm looking at a team sitting in mid table and already out of the champions league. What was the purpose of bolstering the squad again?

Before Suarez was linked with Barcelona, we were linked with Sanchez. I was expecting or hoping for a frontline of Sanchez-Sturridge-Sanchez with Sterling coming off the bench or starting the odd game. Instead he is our only hope. Admittedly the likes of Lallana and Markovic are starting to improve their individual game, but as for the team cohesion it is just not happening.

Next season Borini, Lambert and Balotelli all need to be playing their trade elsewhere. They are not typical Liverpool players. They lack everything Suarez and Sturridge possess. It's so depressing. I'm just happy (kind of) that we got three points and January is only days away. Will January prove productive for us though? Doubt it.

Sorry, I've accidentally removed my earlier post and reposted. Ok, back on topic, let's be realistic, after spending near to 120 mil on new players I don't think FSG is going to approve any more funds for new players and BR has to make do with what he already has. Most probably they'll most probably allow BR to bring in one new player. Ok, point agreed that  players that were brought in are no better than the players we already have, well at least we have back up players that we had none before. And now it becomes more and more evident that BR has more players on the plate than before and not knowing what to do with them to bring the best out of them. Case in point, when we have a Lambert on the pitch BR has to make sure that Moreno is in the team to provide those crosses and Lallana/Sterling  to follow through with the knock down by Lambert to score. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse and rehearse during training and they'll get it right during actual game. There're many other combos that BR can work on with the tactics that we have, not one dimensional tactics. BR has just gotto take a look at the combos of Keegan/Toshack and Rush/Dalglish, it's all there not need to complicate things and try to work out a winning formula.

But, the most worrying thing is does BR knows what tactical approach that he needs to work on to bring the best out of the players. Ok, fair enough we're not up to the level of chelski and city at the moment but with the squad that he has now we should be at least hovering between 4th to 6th.

Was back in work today so missed the game so waiting on the highlights coming on MOTD.

Start Can? I've been thinking this since his appearance against Chelsea. Played well, then dropped. Why? Heaven knows..

Has had a good shift every time he played. Today even filling in at CB. I think the manager has crossed the edge. And I don't mean the one between genius and madness.

Liverpool's pass completion of 75% was their lowest in a Premier League game this season.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30605417

Was back in work today so missed the game so waiting on the highlights coming on MOTD.

Don't do it. If you wanna stay sane, then please don't do it.

Watch the game before you comment.

I haven't seen the whole game, I saw bits and that was more than enough for me to comment.

Piss f**king poor once again. Migs literally looked like he was crapping himself every time he had to do something.

Undeserved win but we will all take that. Huge problems at this club since Suarez has gone and money not been spent right but at the end of the day we got the 3 points, they didn't so the thing we set out to do was accomplished.

Was back in work today so missed the game so waiting on the highlights coming on MOTD.

Don't do it to yourself Si.

Liverpool's pass completion of 75% was their lowest in a Premier League game this season.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30605417

Doesn't surprise me that, we were awful, such a contrast from how we had been playing and very frustrating.

I haven't seen the whole game, I saw bits and that was more than enough for me to comment.

Piss f**king poor once again. Migs literally looked like he was crapping himself every time he had to do something.

Undeserved win but we will all take that. Huge problems at this club since Suarez has gone and money not been spent right but at the end of the day we got the 3 points, they didn't so the thing we set out to do was accomplished.

It was probably the most painful game I ever watched. It was hideous. The funniest part was when Gerrard ripped a strip off Mignolet on the way to the tunnel at half time. I hope he did the same to himself in front of a mirror in the dressing room.

When our CBs all of a sudden become the best players on the pitch, I'm sure we all know how the rest of that sad lot performed. And then the only one, who had any fighting spirit in him, got substituted for Lambert. What a bad joke that was.

I'm getting to the point that I believe Rodgers is just a bad comedian. And he thinks this stuff is actually funny.

Was Liverpool of a few years ago that. Absolutely tw*t United and Arsenal but can't be F***ing arsed turning up for Burnley. I wonder how many of our lads who started today had even heard of Burnley this time last year. And that's not a managerial problem, that's a players' problem because it's happened for so many years.

In the players' minds, the League has gone. They may even be looking at it as the magical fourth spot has gone. So these wet, cold, miserable nights against some puddle in the marsh Lancashire team are hard to get excited for. Let's be honest there's no satisfaction for them beating Burnley. It's Burnley at the end of the day. No fame, no credit and no Sky Sports camera.

For the last decade or so we've really struggled to beat the smaller teams as a rule. And I genuinely believe that a lot of the players couldn't give a toss about these sort of games. They go in with the mindset that they only need to turn up to win so therefore put in a lack of effort. And many times it comes back to haunt us, today really should of been one of those games.

We were F***ing sh*t first half. Nobody played well. Second half, slight improvement. And it was only slight. A well taken goal and some F***ing shocking finishing from Burnley got us the three points. But in football the only thing that truly matters is the scoreline. If we get twatted in every game from now until doomsday but still manage to sneak a 1-0 win each time, I'll be happy enough.

Jones, while he was on, was okish. Nothing great, nothing too sh*te.

Toure didn't do anything of a calamity nature that I can recall, then again he didn't do anything of any nature I can recall.

Skrtel, still sporting his flashy head-wear, was poor throughout. Failing to win almost any battle he went into, still not knowing that he's allowed to jump when the ball is in our box and just looked on edge.

Sakho, I see is man of the match, was sh*t. But I understand he's Mamadou Hansen on this forum so I can appreciate why he's man of the match. Threw himself into two or three tackles in the box that he got nowhere near the ball with, if the Burnley forwards were clever they could of had a penalty or two. His passes may find the target but they put us under pressure because usually they're the wrong pass. But like I say, Mamadou Hansen on here so it's alright.

Henderson, again played out of position, was F***ing useless. I don't know if he's being played as a right winger or a right wing back or a right sided midfielder or what he's being played at - all I know is he shouldn't be. Whatever position he's being given is the wrong position. The lad struggled when he first came to Liverpool because he was asked to play, primarily, on the right wing. Last year, he excelled as a central midfielder because as luck would have it, he is a central midfielder. Truly world class players can play in different positions, Henderson is not one of them. He is not a truly world class player. He is however a good central midfielder so play him there. His delivery was shocking. He still feels that if he has three touches of the ball, he's breaking some sort of law. And trying to let the ball run out only for the Burnley player to nick it off him was about as bad as I've seen from him.

Gerrard, what can I say? Arguably the greatest player to ever wear the Red shirt, captain of the club for over a decade, scorer of so many important goals, carried the club through thick and thin, edging ever closer to 700 games for Liverpool (something only two other players in our history have done). The man is a legend. And yet he's stalling on signing a new contract. And to make matters worse he puts in a F***ing shocking performance like the one he did today. Just strolling round the pitch like it's a walk in Sevvy Park with his kids. I know he's never been the most vocal of captains, he's not the type of captain to rally up the troops the way a Souness would but F**k me Stevie, at least look like you care lad. Or better yet, admit that you're off in the summer and tell Brendan "look boss, I don't give a toss right now so give the captaincy to Henderson, put him in the middle of the park and let me spend the last few months topping up me tan on some Caribbean island"

Lucas, can't have a bad word said about him, Leiva was sh*t. Got skipped past, no great tracking back, no great passes, no nothing really.

Markovic, like Henderson I'm not sure what position he's playing. Unfortunately, I don't think he knows either. He's not aware enough to be a wing back, he just gets lost up field or out of position. He's not confident enough to be a winger for us yet either. Always looks like he's desperate to get rid of the ball. Not sure about his skill level either, very capable of knocking it past someone and running after it but running with the ball past them I haven't seen too much. Has looked good the last few games but today he was poor.

Lallana, the latest darling, was F***ing useless. Again. His constant showing off that he could drag it back is infuriating because it gets him absolutely nowhere. Get it, give it, more into space. Every attack slows down with him because he's incapable of playing with that simplicity. He has to check back, drop the shoulder, look round for half an hour then either play the pass with the outside of his foot or check, drop the shoulder again, drag it back and lose it.

Sterling done his job and that's all you can ask of him. He's being played as the centre forward, forwards are judged on the goals they score ultimately. Balotelli could be the lazy c**t he is but if he banged 10 goals then we wouldn't really be arsed. Raheem got one really good chance and took it. Took it convincingly as well. If he's going to be played up top then we need the ball to move fast because letting the opposition sit deep against Sterling doesn't suit him. It cramps him for space and if it's whipped in from out wide, I don't fancy Sterling to out jump too many centre halves. It'd have to be a perfect ball at the perfect time.

Coutinho, huffed and puffed but didn't do much. His ball for the goal apart of course. Phil tries to make things happen but I think he's almost trying too hard to force the situation. Sometimes the easy ball is best, rather than trying that ball that splits the defence when there's 10 men between you and your centre forward.

Mignolet looked no better than when he got dropped. Can't command his area, lets the ball run out for corners and for some reason thinks that every kick must be aimed at Jordan Henderson. Now I'm a fan of Jordy but I wouldn't put heading down as one of his strongest points. Obviously Sterling, Coutinho and Lallana are hardly gonna win many aerial duels but lob it over the defence occasionally and allow Raheem to chase it. Aim for Markovic. Aim for Gerrard. Anything. Just a bit of variation. Constantly looked for Henderson, their left back (Ben Mee) stops Jordy from winning it, or at least doing anything of note with it, so Burnley get the ball back. Mix it up a bit Simple Simon.

Can looked like our best defender of the season today. And for the first time in his Liverpool career, he didn't look absolutely fu**ed after 20 minutes of football. People ask why isn't he playing more, I genuinely feel it's because of a fitness issue. He's boss for 20 minutes, real dominant force in the middle of the park but then you don't see him. And suddenly he just gets breezed past. Not today though. Today he looked a beast from the minute he got on to the last. And nice to see a good arl fashioned shoulder block. 

Lambert showed the form he did earlier in the season when he made those sub appearances - he lifted the team. When he was starting week in week out, Rickie was poor (after a good start to his run of games). But today he put himself about. Linked up about as well as he could, given the lack of service. And scored a very good goal only for it to be chalked off.

Overall we were sh*t and lucky to get the win. On the other hand, not so long ago we were F***ing brilliant and got twatted 3-0. So it's not about how well you play, it's about who wins. And today Liverpool won. That's enough for me.

Rejoice in the victory!!!!!

Pretty much agree there, dls.

For the last decade or so we've really struggled to beat the smaller teams as a rule. And I genuinely believe that a lot of the players couldn't give a toss about these sort of games.

To be fair we have handed out some twattings in that time; Under Rafa we would regularly smash 5 or 6 past the likes of West Brom, 7 past Birmingham etc and even a few years before that under Houllier when we would happily smash 5 or 6 against the likes of Ipswich. But you are certainly right about it becoming a case of players not giving a toss. It;s now like they expect to be winning these games with ease without any real effort at all and it's not on.

Doesn't matter. Mignolet and Jones are finished. Totally. Release them as soon as we sign a new keeper and appoint the U21 keeper as back-up.

I'd f**k off most the defence too like. Skrtel, Lovren and Johnson aren't far from being at the same level as Migs and Jones...In fact I'd say Johnson already is.

To be fair we have handed out some twattings in that time; Under Rafa we would regularly smash 5 or 6 past the likes of West Brom, 7 past Birmingham etc and even a few years before that under Houllier when we would happily smash 5 or 6 against the likes of Ipswich. But you are certainly right about it becoming a case of players not giving a toss. It;s now like they expect to be winning these games with ease without any real effort at all and it's not on.

I'd f**k off most the defence too like. Skrtel, Lovren and Johnson aren't far from being at the same level as Migs and Jones...In fact I'd say Johnson already is.

Don't forget the semi-annual Suarez hat trick v Norwich. Actually, I think that was the main reason the lad left. Norwich got relegated.

And yeah, the defence is shambles. But they were not our biggest problem today. Today the problems were everywhere else and then the only half decent player gets substitute ted for Lambert. I still can't get over it.

We were F***ing woeful I for one didn't see us getting anything out of the game.

I think the manager and the players need to take a long hard look.

That was just dire can spend hours criticising and pulling apart performances but can't be arsed anymore.

Was Liverpool of a few years ago that. Absolutely tw*t United and Arsenal but can't be f**king arsed turning up for Burnley. I wonder how many of our lads who started today had even heard of Burnley this time last year. And that's not a managerial problem, that's a players' problem because it's happened for so many years.

In the players' minds, the League has gone. They may even be looking at it as the magical fourth spot has gone. So these wet, cold, miserable nights against some puddle in the marsh Lancashire team are hard to get excited for. Let's be honest there's no satisfaction for them beating Burnley. It's Burnley at the end of the day. No fame, no credit and no Sky Sports camera.

For the last decade or so we've really struggled to beat the smaller teams as a rule. And I genuinely believe that a lot of the players couldn't give a toss about these sort of games. They go in with the mindset that they only need to turn up to win so therefore put in a lack of effort. And many times it comes back to haunt us, today really should of been one of those games.

We were f**king sh*t first half. Nobody played well. Second half, slight improvement. And it was only slight. A well taken goal and some f**king shocking finishing from Burnley got us the three points. But in football the only thing that truly matters is the scoreline. If we get twatted in every game from now until doomsday but still manage to sneak a 1-0 win each time, I'll be happy enough.

Jones, while he was on, was okish. Nothing great, nothing too sh*te.

Toure didn't do anything of a calamity nature that I can recall, then again he didn't do anything of any nature I can recall.

Skrtel, still sporting his flashy head-wear, was poor throughout. Failing to win almost any battle he went into, still not knowing that he's allowed to jump when the ball is in our box and just looked on edge.

Sakho, I see is man of the match, was sh*t. But I understand he's Mamadou Hansen on this forum so I can appreciate why he's man of the match. Threw himself into two or three tackles in the box that he got nowhere near the ball with, if the Burnley forwards were clever they could of had a penalty or two. His passes may find the target but they put us under pressure because usually they're the wrong pass. But like I say, Mamadou Hansen on here so it's alright.

Henderson, again played out of position, was f**king useless. I don't know if he's being played as a right winger or a right wing back or a right sided midfielder or what he's being played at - all I know is he shouldn't be. Whatever position he's being given is the wrong position. The lad struggled when he first came to Liverpool because he was asked to play, primarily, on the right wing. Last year, he excelled as a central midfielder because as luck would have it, he is a central midfielder. Truly world class players can play in different positions, Henderson is not one of them. He is not a truly world class player. He is however a good central midfielder so play him there. His delivery was shocking. He still feels that if he has three touches of the ball, he's breaking some sort of law. And trying to let the ball run out only for the Burnley player to nick it off him was about as bad as I've seen from him.

Gerrard, what can I say? Arguably the greatest player to ever wear the Red shirt, captain of the club for over a decade, scorer of so many important goals, carried the club through thick and thin, edging ever closer to 700 games for Liverpool (something only two other players in our history have done). The man is a legend. And yet he's stalling on signing a new contract. And to make matters worse he puts in a f**king shocking performance like the one he did today. Just strolling round the pitch like it's a walk in Sevvy Park with his kids. I know he's never been the most vocal of captains, he's not the type of captain to rally up the troops the way a Souness would but f**k me Stevie, at least look like you care lad. Or better yet, admit that you're off in the summer and tell Brendan "look boss, I don't give a toss right now so give the captaincy to Henderson, put him in the middle of the park and let me spend the last few months topping up me tan on some Caribbean island"

Lucas, can't have a bad word said about him, Leiva was sh*t. Got skipped past, no great tracking back, no great passes, no nothing really.

Markovic, like Henderson I'm not sure what position he's playing. Unfortunately, I don't think he knows either. He's not aware enough to be a wing back, he just gets lost up field or out of position. He's not confident enough to be a winger for us yet either. Always looks like he's desperate to get rid of the ball. Not sure about his skill level either, very capable of knocking it past someone and running after it but running with the ball past them I haven't seen too much. Has looked good the last few games but today he was poor.

Lallana, the latest darling, was f**king useless. Again. His constant showing off that he could drag it back is infuriating because it gets him absolutely nowhere. Get it, give it, more into space. Every attack slows down with him because he's incapable of playing with that simplicity. He has to check back, drop the shoulder, look round for half an hour then either play the pass with the outside of his foot or check, drop the shoulder again, drag it back and lose it.

Sterling done his job and that's all you can ask of him. He's being played as the centre forward, forwards are judged on the goals they score ultimately. Balotelli could be the lazy c**t he is but if he banged 10 goals then we wouldn't really be arsed. Raheem got one really good chance and took it. Took it convincingly as well. If he's going to be played up top then we need the ball to move fast because letting the opposition sit deep against Sterling doesn't suit him. It cramps him for space and if it's whipped in from out wide, I don't fancy Sterling to out jump too many centre halves. It'd have to be a perfect ball at the perfect time.

Coutinho, huffed and puffed but didn't do much. His ball for the goal apart of course. Phil tries to make things happen but I think he's almost trying too hard to force the situation. Sometimes the easy ball is best, rather than trying that ball that splits the defence when there's 10 men between you and your centre forward.

Mignolet looked no better than when he got dropped. Can't command his area, lets the ball run out for corners and for some reason thinks that every kick must be aimed at Jordan Henderson. Now I'm a fan of Jordy but I wouldn't put heading down as one of his strongest points. Obviously Sterling, Coutinho and Lallana are hardly gonna win many aerial duels but lob it over the defence occasionally and allow Raheem to chase it. Aim for Markovic. Aim for Gerrard. Anything. Just a bit of variation. Constantly looked for Henderson, their left back (Ben Mee) stops Jordy from winning it, or at least doing anything of note with it, so Burnley get the ball back. Mix it up a bit Simple Simon.

Can looked like our best defender of the season today. And for the first time in his Liverpool career, he didn't look absolutely fu**ed after 20 minutes of football. People ask why isn't he playing more, I genuinely feel it's because of a fitness issue. He's boss for 20 minutes, real dominant force in the middle of the park but then you don't see him. And suddenly he just gets breezed past. Not today though. Today he looked a beast from the minute he got on to the last. And nice to see a good arl fashioned shoulder block. 

Lambert showed the form he did earlier in the season when he made those sub appearances - he lifted the team. When he was starting week in week out, Rickie was poor (after a good start to his run of games). But today he put himself about. Linked up about as well as he could, given the lack of service. And scored a very good goal only for it to be chalked off.

Overall we were sh*t and lucky to get the win. On the other hand, not so long ago we were f**king brilliant and got twatted 3-0. So it's not about how well you play, it's about who wins. And today Liverpool won. That's enough for me.

Rejoice in the victory!!!!!

Sakho is a great talent, don't write him off. Would you rather have sh*t for brains clusterfuck Skrtel or Sakho who seems to have something about him?

Yes.
We got three points ....... but what a shambles . An embarrassment .

It's criminal how we can raise our game for the mancs and arsenal, but half ass it against the supposed wipping boys. These are the games we should be turning on the style, and making ourselves look good. The players must only play for the camera's.

I think if Gerrards well deserved ego won't accept playing a bit part for the team then he should either call it a day like Carra did (with some pride) or lose the one-club man status and go over to America or Italy.

Horrible to write that. I'm his biggest fan, my son ADORES him.

We just can't tolerate one decent performance in five.

Shouldn't comment in the match thread if you didn't watch, no matter how many previous games you watched. End of.

My sincere apologies for suggesting I might know something about how the team has played this season. I'm ashamed of myself for being so presumptuous.
In future I'll keep quiet, and just listen to the ramblings of tw*ts like yourself instead. Who the F**k do you think you are.

Didn't watch the game yesterday as the locals dodgy box was showing the munts strolling over Newcastle .
Tbh I thought we might lose that game yesterday but very chuffed we got the three points,and, judging by the comments on here we were very lucky to get them.
But a win is a win and I'll take that any day of the week and playing badly and winning is a bonus .
Clean sheet as well another bonus.

Think I had a lucky escape in missing the entire thing. Saw our goal and don't think I will look for the extended highlights.

Looking at a 1-0 away win for this particular Liverpool side still low on confidence and in need of points, I will gladly take it.

Need to somehow scrape together a run of wins so that when our main man is back to fitness, we are in some sort of contention with the top 4, and we can start to blow teams off the field again.

To be fair we have handed out some twattings in that time; Under Rafa we would regularly smash 5 or 6 past the likes of West Brom, 7 past Birmingham etc and even a few years before that under Houllier when we would happily smash 5 or 6 against the likes of Ipswich. But you are certainly right about it becoming a case of players not giving a toss. It;s now like they expect to be winning these games with ease without any real effort at all and it's not on.

It was hardly a regular thing mate. There might of been the odd twatting here or there but by and large we struggled. Take the 5-0 win over the Baggies in 04/05, Birmingham done the double over us in the same year, we took one point from six off Middlesbrough, drew both games with Blackburn and lost to Villa, Palace, Southampton, City and Everton away.

So again it was hardly regular. And that's why we don't challenge for the title often enough because too often we fail against the sides we should destroy.

04-05 we lost to Bolton away, Birmingham at home, Middlesbrough away, drew to Villa away, Portsmouth at home, Blackburn at home, lost to Palace away, drew to Middlesbrough at home

05-06 we drew to Middlesbrough away, Birmingham at home and away, Bolton away and Charlton at home.

06-07 we drew to Sheffield away, lost to Bolton away, drew to Portsmouth at home, drew to Villa away, City away (remember, this is pre-oil money City), got beat by Fulham away and drew against Charlton at home.

07-08 we got mauled by Everton, drew to Blackburn, drew to Middlesbrough, and again against Portsmouth, got beat by Blackburn, got beat by Newcastle,  drew against City, then got beat by Portsmouth, Fulham and drew against Charlton.

08-09 we drew against Villa, Stoke (twice), Fulham, West Ham, Hull, Everton and Wigan.

09-10 we got hammered by Villa 1-3, beat by Sunderland, hammered 3-1 by Fulham, drew to Birmingham, Blackburn, lost 2-0 to Portsmouth, drew at Stoke, Wanderers, Birmingham, Fulham and Hull.

As Dunlop says, we have a record of not winning what should be our bread and butter matches, even under Rafa and until we learn to do so we will never with the title. What we saw yesterday may not have been pretty but at least we ground out a result.

Saw the 'highlights' on MOTD - didn't look like we created an awful lot ... but we got the 3 points which was really important. And a clean sheet too

Standout moments, Cou's pass for Sterling to finish ... and Migs letting the ball run out over then end line before a clearance - how bad was that!? I've been critical of BR for starting Jones who is a liability and will cost us again ... but looking at Migs, he seems to have had the equivalent of a footballing-nervous-breakdown.

Given we really don't have keepers or strikers to speak of it's a minor miracle we're still in with an outside chance of top4 ... if BR can do some good business in Jan.