Stoke City 0-1 Liverpool: In game and Post Match debate

Absolutely brilliant strike from Phil. We deserved the win on that final 30 minutes alone.

First half was crap. Too slow, no movement, our midfield was stifled by the setup and we couldn't get going.

Second half - in particular when Can came on - our midfield came alive. He sat deep and let Milner and Hendo do their thing, we had more bodies through the middle and we started to move closer to Benteke.

I do hope it was fitness that made Brendan start with that side otherwise it's a complete no brainer. Lallana and Ibe are good players but wingers don't suit us. Much better using the width from our fullbacks and playing a diamond, or a variation of 4 central midfielders.

Thought Clyne was terrific, Skrtel was a bit shaky, and Lovren still makes little mistakes that will cost us but in the tackle he was good. Gomez was very tough and stood up to the challenge whilst being very assured going forward.

Milner and Hendo were ineffective simply due to the system. They came alive when Can came on - who has to start alongside both of them from now on.

Coutinho was Coutinho. Stunner!

Benteke was so isolated. It's not his fault of course but that's why i was so hesitant to see us go for him. We need a striker who plays with the team, not someone who will only play well when the team plays well and can create chances for him. In saying that, he tried to drop deep and had some nice one touch passes to try and keep things flowing.

Nice win! It is always good to start a season with a win. It gives you confidence and morale boost.
The thing that I noticed compared to the previous two years, is that the team seems to be more robust in the defense. Of course Stoke made some chances, but in a game like this in the last two years we were definitely about to concede a goal.
So, I hope that if our defense becomes stronger then our results will become better.
I have said that also in the past. Between a 5-3 win and a 0-1 win, I prefer the second.

Amen to that. We did look much more solid at the back, but there were a few shaky moments where we could have shipped a goal. Hopefully the Skrtle-Lovren partnership will improve over the next few games and we can build a stingy defense around them. I think the next few weeks will begin to show us if "Future Captain" can become  the defensive leader BR seems to think he can be....

That formation (4-3-3) seems to suit our personnel better. Playing 3 combative, energetic CM's allowed our creative players (Coutinho and Ibe/Firmino) to focus more on attacking and less on tracking back.


- Gomez looked like what he is - a right footed CB being played at LB. Its not that our attacks necessarily broke down with him, but there were several opportunities for him to take the space down the left flank but he wouldn't because it's unnatural for him. Our play in attack is very narrow, so we need our fullbacks to be able to provide width. I know I'll catch it from some for this, but I'd prefer Moreno at LB if we're going to play with Benteke at ST.

Given our dreadful defensive record over the years is it not It worth sacrificing the natural overlap and attacking verve of Moreno for the extra defensive solidity that Gomez seemed to bring yesterday? Your first thought was that we might attack better with a change at full back but mine is that we might defend worse, especially as yesterday's win was built on a good defensive performance.

Great win...great goal!
First game away at Stoke was always gonna be tough and we were set up not to get beaten so in that sense mission accomplished.
Special mention to Clyne who i thought was superb in defense coz he picked up Diouf (their main threat) on a few occasions when Skrtel or Lovren missed him. Also a encouraging start for Gomez who was obviously targeted as most of Stoke long balls were played his side...he came through it Ok.
Our mid pair of Milner and Hendo are solid but nothing spectacular so my only fear is that without some forward momentum coming from one of them it will place a greater onus on Phil to be our sole creator which is a little worrying.
We didnt create any substantial chances via our playing style and i suppose it was good to see with Can into the game it looked alot more fluid.
Good start and the foundation is there to improve coz at least this time around we have options.

I think we went into the game looking not to lose, which is a gamble with a team as fragile as ours is defensively and with BR's tactics around defence. We can't complain though we got 3 points.

Excellent 3pts!

The game had draw written all over it until Coutinho pulled a rabbit out the hat; it was an industrious game from both sides.

I thought, while still looking as nervous as ever that Lovren had a good game. Benteke was isolated for long periods and we never got him into the game, really. Can and Firminho were good substitutions and we changed our shape and had a bit more purpose to our play going forward.

Not going to complain too much about the performance at this stage, as the result was/is more important.

Well in lads 

Brendan and the boys are off to a winner.

Well done to Coutinho for a fantastic goal and 3 points, I read somewhere that Rodgers was thinking of subbing Coutinho  till he scored. Lucky for us the manager kept faith in Phil.

Feel guilty here for getting a couple of plusses for something Rush posted a while back.

Rush if you find your original post bump it and I'll plus it again.

Some of the other reviews are funny too.

Way off topic so GERRRRRRIIIIINNN!!!

No worries budd

I'm glad of the opportunity to read it agin - I'd forgotten about it. One of the funniest things I've ever read! 

Now that the panic and possibility of depression at the thought of losing again to Stoke have disappeared, I have to admit that 3 points away at Stoke is very probably in the top 3 of 'hardest away points we'll garner this season'. Wasn't pretty, it was a grind and I'm fine with that.

Have to say I was especially pleased by Lovren's contribution - knew he had it in him but was beginning to think it was now beyond him.

By the way, did anyone catch Firmino telling a Stoke player to 'sod off' (or words to that effect) when one of them tried ushering us back to the centre circle when we were celebrating? Tight ship, everyone's together

YNWA

Not a vintage display in any sense and I don't expect one either in the first game. Ain't gonna moan, 3 points is all that counts. However, we should have exploited more down Glen's side, there were acre of spaces on that side and we just need an Alonso like pass to split them down that flank.

yaaaaasssssss !!!!!

Hardly a convincing performance but we got the points and that's the most important thing. It wasn't a bad performance I don't think, we looked organised and solid, but we weren't great on the ball.

Mignolet - Overall a solid performance. One or two poor kicks but in general, very good I thought.

Clyne - Impressed too. That clearance he did with his head mid second half has gone un noticed. It was a brilliant clearance. General play was good. Good debut.

Gomez - Started well, looks good on the ball, struggled in the air a couple of times though and Stoke got in behind him once or twice. Decent debut for the young lad though.

Skrtel & Lovren - Both defended well. Special mention to Lovren who I thought looked a lot more calmer and comfortable than some of his displays last season. Great bullet header in the first half to clear the ball from our box too where he completely bulldozed one of their players!

Milner & Hendo - both covered a lot of ground and controlled the midfield. Never once felt under pressure by Stoke and these two deserve a lot of credit for it. Stoke away isn't a nice fixture, particularly first game of the season where their fans and players would be well up for it. Milner & Hendo didn't let them settle though so well played. My only criticism is they didn't do very much when we had the ball.

Lallana - Don't remember him being in the game. Poor performance.

Ibe - Did well against a very good full back.  Would have liked to have seen him take on a few players more and try and get a shot/cross in but a steady performance.

Coutnho - MOTM for his goal. Superb. Always looking to get on the ball too but not enough players on his wavelength.

Benteke - Seen a lot of people say he had no service which makes me laugh. As many know I was against this signing for that exact reason. We will never supply him with aerial balls or crosses. We play on the deck football and try and slide through balls into our forwards. By no means am I writing him off after our first 90 minutes of the season, but we looked toothless in attack yet again (not blaming this entirely on Benteke) and I wasn't surprised by this. I was patiently waiting for Ings to come on to make a difference but thank god for our little magicians strike.

Credit to Firmino and Can too who both made a difference when they came on.

Bullshit.

Benteke is contributing far more than Balotelli would be if he was playing.

Bullshit indeed, faced with the accepted Stoke tactics that stifle the best attackers, Benteke did acquit himself as well as anyone with some very close chances.
The point being he was in a position to get on the end of the half-chances presented because he did play a proactive active part in almost every attacking move.
When was the above ever applied to Balotelli??

Well i can't say i enjoyed the game but i enjoyed the result.

It was great to see us competing and scrapping for everything. People call football today 'modern football' but nothing has changed in that you have to compete and fight and earn the right to play your football.

The attitude yesterday was streets ahead of that of last season. Fairplay to lovren and credit were it is due ... a good performance but if he wants to stay here he has to be consistant.

Nobody gets it easy at stoke. Id have taken a 0-0 and would have seen it as a positive result ... but to get the 3 points was a bonus ... and in many ways deserved.

Its only 1 game ... but its a start. Roll on next week.

Going to wait until I watch this again before I give player reviews.  Going to focus on Ibe, I don't think he was much better than Lallana though, rightfully, he was given more slack.

Not sure why Benteke is criticised here.

Bullied defenders.
Dropped deep.
Worked hard with little support.

When Can and Firmino came on Benteke was allowed to be at his more dangerous and had people arriving for the second ball.

If that's the preview of what we can expect it's great. So long as we don't stay with 4-2-3-1.

4-1-2-3 or 4-1-2-1-2 please.

Not sure why Benteke is criticised here.

Because it's easier to criticise than praise.

Not sure why Benteke is criticised here.

Bullied defenders.
Dropped deep.
Worked hard with little support.

When Can and Firmino came on Benteke was allowed to be at his more dangerous and had people arriving for the second ball.

If that's the preview of what we can expect it's great. So long as we don't stay with 4-2-3-1.

4-1-2-3 or 4-1-2-1-2 please.

I posted a line up in the formation thread that I think gets our best players on the pitch Racer but was more like 4 1 2 2 1 with Can deep Benteke up top then a box of Milner, Hendo with Phil and Firmino in front.

Need width from the full backs which we normally have anyway but I think something like that is the way forward.

Not sure why Benteke is criticised here.

Bullied defenders.
Dropped deep.
Worked hard with little support.

When Can and Firmino came on Benteke was allowed to be at his more dangerous and had people arriving for the second ball.

If that's the preview of what we can expect it's great. So long as we don't stay with 4-2-3-1.

4-1-2-3 or 4-1-2-1-2 please.

He's criticized because some people have made their bed with saying how crap he is and insist on lying in that bed now as opposed to giving him credit where it's due.

Its like banging your head against a brick wall.

All summer a lot of people were asking why on earth are we signing Benteke when we won't play to his strengths, we won't supply him with the type of service he needs.

So week 1 goes by, Benteke is isolated, doesn't get a sniff at goal, he has stood in the same position for most of the game waiting for a chance and then you get people saying 'we didn't give him the service' Well no sh*t Sherlock, some of us predicted this months ago.

I strongly predict that Benteke will have dozens of games like yesterday for us and we will become frustrated with him. Its not necessarily his fault, I've said all along he is a beast providing you get the ball into him, but we won't. Instead we've got flair attacking players running at goal with the ball and we are looking for movement from our strikers and he simply doesn't offer it.  Hes at his best when you've got a wide man delivering him crosses and he is in a central position ready to attack the ball.

Im not going to talk about Benteke all season don't worry but F***ing hell I just cant believe people are saying 'He didn't get the service'. What do you think we've been saying for months.

I was surprised Firmino wasn't the player to come in and partner Benteke. It seemed as if he was just shafted to the right rather than push up close to Benteke and support him.

I would think Firmino would play behind the striker, not ahead of someone like Benteke. Benteke is not an out and out striker for me, he needs someone ahead of him. It should be Benteke/Firmino with Sturridge/Ings ahead in a partnership. Punting the ball up for him to head down is not how I want us to play. I hope yesterday was a one off specifically for Stoke.

I strongly predict that Benteke will have dozens of games like yesterday for us and we will become frustrated with him. Its not necessarily his fault, I've said all along he is a beast providing you get the ball into him, but we won't. Instead we've got flair attacking players running at goal with the ball and we are looking for movement from our strikers and he simply doesn't offer it.  He's at his best when you've got a wide man delivering him crosses and he is in a central position ready to attack the ball.

It's hard to disagree with any of that.

Thought Benteke was excellent myself. Really put himself about, to good effect. Didn't get much of a sight of goal but for a first appearance not bad. Also won pretty much every header - no one read them though.

Coutinho had a pretty sh*te afternoon in my opinion, aside from the goal. But goals win games - so who cares.