Everton 0:0 Liverpool, In game and post match debate.

'waiting to happen'. He's gone 19 games without a major accident if I can remember.

Sakho's started 17 games and we've conceded 13 goals [0.76 a game] - how many of those 13 were his fault.

Lovren's started 19 games and we've conceded 29 goals [1.53 a game]

It's a simple stat and doesn't prove everything but having watched both of them this season then IMO there is some causal relationship between the fact that a Lovren defence concedes DOUBLE the number of goals that one with Sakho has.

Was he targeted in those 19 games? Did anyone explicitly identify him as a weak link and purposefully put pressure on him to expose his weakness? No they did not. No one on this forum will change my opinion of him. I don't like him because he's a poor decision maker. The only person who can change my mind is Sahko.

Ok bring back Lovren take out Sakho and watch every team target Lovren,
Sakho has not put a foot wrong wins everything in the air Lovren has done nothing since he came here!

Was he targeted in those 19 games? Did anyone explicitly identify him as a weak link and purposefully put pressure on him to expose his weakness? No they did not. No one on this forum will change my opinion of him. I don't like him because he's a poor decision maker. The only person who can change my mind is Sahko.

You seem like a very open minded person............

You seem like a very open minded person............

Well clearly I am since I've said the player himself is the one to change my mind, rather than opinions on the forum. Regardless, I'd sooner him convince me in less important situations than the business end of the season. The Europa League and FA Cup would be a good place to tell him to prove his decision making can match his skills on the ball and when they do, he'll be an automatic starter.

Now that Gerrard's had his last derby, can we go back to him being on the bench.
Think it was the wrong, but understandable, decision to start him.
It was a bigger mistake to leave him on for 90 minutes.

Couthinho off for Sturridge was an odd sub.
Thought the timing was perfect for them to link up.
Sterling hadn't offered a whole lot and his decision making had been poor.
He should have been the one to make way, if not Gerrard.

'waiting to happen'. He's gone 19 games without a major accident if I can remember.

Sakho's started 17 games and we've conceded 13 goals [0.76 a game] - how many of those 13 were his fault.

Lovren's started 19 games and we've conceded 29 goals [1.53 a game]

It's a simple stat and doesn't prove everything but having watched both of them this season then IMO there is some causal relationship between the fact that a Lovren defence concedes DOUBLE the number of goals that one with Sakho has.

Sakho is quality. A really good defender. Lovren is sh*t. Simples...

Sahko is a good player, Everton just made him a target and purposely pressured him every time he got the ball.

Small club mentality they parked the bus and had 9 men behind the ball. They did a number on Phillipe tag teaming him everyt time he had the ball and thus making him ineffective. Midfield was piss poor in particular when Lucas came off, Gerrard should never have started but I see the romance in BR's decision.

Shame we couldn't closed the gap on Arsenal but we keep pushing on.

Now that Gerrard's had his last derby, can we go back to him being on the bench.

But it's soon going to be his last game against Tottenham. We need a montage of all his goals against the Spurs - not to mention interviews with every Spurs manager, player and legend saying how good he was/is.

In Steve's defence, I don't recall him previously having a bad game against the Bitters, maybe this game proved that he just can't do it anymore.

Coutinho and Sterling both took knocks in that game. That's why Coutinho came off.
Hope they're ok for Tuesday.

Why on earth are people debating to bring in Lovren or not? Apart from Colemans shot at the end of the game, we didn't give everton a sniff and defended very well.

I was disappointed with Everton on Saturday, it was a new low even for them. Playing at home in a derby game and they play Besic, McCarthy and Barry in the middle. They haven't got a creative spark between them. They played Naismith in front of them too. All 11 men sat behind the ball and it was clear from kick off they were happy with a point. Their win at Palace pretty much guarantees their safety now so they had nothing to lose. Couldn't believe they didn't come at us and have a go.

Anyway, overall I thought we played well. We controlled the game for 90 minutes but couldn't find that bit of magic. It was noticeable as soon as Lucas went off. I've seen a few posters says Allen is a straight swap for Lucas so it shouldn't affect the game too much but that's bollocks. Lucas isn't the same Lucas from 5 years ago. He passes the ball forward now and very rarely passes it sideways or backwards. He begins many of our attacks off.

I spent a large amount of time defending Joe Allen and always believed he would come good. However, his time is up with me now and I'm ready to sell him to any club stupid enough to buy him. He is a chain player. He receives the ball from a man five yards away from him, and then passes it on to a man five yards away from himself. There is no reason for him to be there, he just makes one more pass in the chain. He delays us if anything. He never looks forward, he doesn't create anything, he doesn't shoot, he doesn't even defend particularly well, it is like playing with ten men whenever he's on the pitch. He is completely out of his depth playing for Liverpool.

And then obviously when Coutinho went off we struggled to create anything. Had he stayed on the pitch then I think he would have supplied Sturridge with a pass or two to have a shot on goal.

I was quite frustrated with Sturridge too. Don't know if anybody else noticed but he seemed to drop a lot deeper to get on the ball, as if he was Luis, playing like a number 10. I can understand he wants to get involved and might feel frustrated with lack of service, especially with Coutinho going off, but he should be standing on the last defender all the time.

Back three were superb and kept them very quiet and it was a boss save from Mignolet at the end too, great to see his confidence coming back and I hope he proves his critics, including myself, wrong.

So all in all, defensively we were solid but struggled to open a team up who had 11 men behind the ball.

 

I selected Henderson instead of Ibe.... 

Well it wasn't the best derby but it was a typical derby.  It didn't help with all the media hype about it being Stevies last derby, from a sentimental point of view he couldn't have not played but once he'd started he probably should have been taken off at some stage.  Maybe he would have if Lucas hadn't got injured but that changed the dynamics for Brendan.

Small club mentality they parked the bus and had 9 men behind the ball. They did a number on Phillipe tag teaming him everyt time he had the ball and thus making him ineffective. Midfield was piss poor in particular when Lucas came off, Gerrard should never have started but I see the romance in BR's decision.

Shame we couldn't closed the gap on Arsenal but we keep pushing on.

Small club mentality all day, the very reason they were no real threat and had minimal attempts on target, off target and no F***ing target.
Playing a no score draw for all they were worth.

Watching the NW news and there was a reporter in Liverpool asking random people about the 1967 derby, he held the microphone to an elderly man and asked him - ''I remember it well'' said the silver haired gentleman ''I played in it''.
It was none other than the flying pig himself, Tommy Lawrence.
How weird is that?
The clip has gone global and attracted 8 million views on th'internet.

Thought Gerrard and Sakho had a mare.

Ibe looked very promising though and almost scored a cracking goal. Going to be hell of a player that lad!!

Was good to see that for the first time for as long as I can remember, Lukaku didn't bully us! 99% of the time he will win the physical battle against any player he comes up against....But not Emre Can! There was one moment Lukaku went shoulder to shoulder with him and he just bounced off Can. Can was even giving him the run around with the ball too! Bit of pay back for the torment he has caused our defence over the last few years.

'waiting to happen'. He's gone 19 games without a major accident if I can remember.

Sakho's started 17 games and we've conceded 13 goals [0.76 a game] - how many of those 13 were his fault.

Lovren's started 19 games and we've conceded 29 goals [1.53 a game]

But didn't Lovren play most of his games with Johnson at the back, and through the tori time Migs went through as well. That couldn't have helped. Not a scientific analysis, just saying.   

Isn't it weird, we were pretty poor by all accounts on here, and I'm not suggesting anything else, but if you only had motd to judge, you'd say we played pretty well.  So deceiving. Hope we look crap tonight and hammer the spuds.