Liverpool 0-0 West Ham: (FA Cup R4) In game and Post Match review

The consensus seemed to be that Liverpool would lose that. Draw should be an acceptable result, but I wasn't doubting from the start, and I'm disappointed we didn't win that. Personally I think we need two strikers on the pitch. We really struggle for goals (Norwich being the anomaly), and the false 9 with Firminho we play in the league doesn't help either.

That said.. it is Klopp, and we're doing okay so far! He'll find the solution.

fvk just seen that chance for ben all he had to do was roll it to his left and it would of been a goal for sure

With 11 bloody injuries, what the hell do you expect?? Should we field our A-team for this and rest them against Leicester maybe?

jees you need to f***in explain everything to people these days. The kids were great Jürgen picked the best team he could we were unlucky but I remember teams  not long ago and they were not like this. This is a transfer window and we seem ok with what we have as a club

Who was that guy we paid £32m for then?

I think we are waiting for him to appear

Never got the win but proud of the young lads, hopefully we will nick it at West Ham.

Possession: LFC 51% - WHU 49%
Goal Attempts: LFC 18 - WHU 7
On Target: LFC 6 - WHU 1

How didn't we win that game?

in 1 word ? Benteke!

Benteke spurned 3 key chances, really need Ings, Sturridge or Origi back asap, I'm sure one of those players would've scored at least one of the key chances created.

Can we get Ngog back

in 1 word ? Benteke!

Other players had other chances though. He had a sh*t game but he can't be solely to blame for not taking any of our chances. Allen had what should have been a comfortable attempt at goal but ballooned it over.

jees you need to f***in explain everything to people these days. The kids were great Jürgen picked the best team he could we were unlucky but I remember teams  not long ago and they were not like this. This is a transfer window and we seem ok with what we have as a club

I know you aren't slagging the kids, but my point is that this was a reward for the kids for playing well in the previous round, yea you can say this is cup we have to win. With the injury issues and the dire strait we were in when we travelled to Exeter, I think they earned the chance to start today, regardless of the game.

This is the completion where you are going to give the kids a go, Europa trumps FA cup and we have had a run in the league cup so can't play them there.

Could have been a whole host of results worse than that.

Kids remain unbeaten this season!

Thought we got stronger as the game wore on and we all know one of our major problems - up front.  Defence looked somewhat improved although West Ham didn't have their shooting boots on either - think our midfield did the best work in that game.

With the injury issues and the dire strait we were in when we travelled to Exeter, I think they earned the chance to start today, regardless of the game.

Agree entirely.

Agree entirely.

Absolutely.

I thought the young lads did very well actually. Brannagan, Texeira and Smith all had a very good game. Final ball and finishing was piss poor as usual though. Benteke better get his act together, had a really poor game. Didn't win the headers, didn't hold the ball up, gave away the ball multiple times and should have laid on that ball to Texeira who was in acres of space instead of a poor attempt at finishing. He's the senior player there and got well upstaged by the youngsters.

I'd go with the same team in Benteke for Sinclair or Firminho.

Overall we put up a decent showing considering the team put out there and over the 90mins deserved a win.
Tex and Benteke both should have scored.

Really impressed with Brannagan showing the likes of Milner and Can how to play the midfield role. Along with Allen they completely nullified the vaunted Payet and his colleagues.

Smith showed he us already a glass above Moreno defensively, he was no mug going forward either.

Clyne after a couple if poor games was back to his best.

A couple of shaky moments for Lovren and Caulker but they did well overall.

No idea what has happened to Ibe, he seemed determined as Can  was not playing to make sure he kept up the stats of continually giving the ball away and completely ineffective going forward, Ojo should have come on earlier.

I found Tex's performance a bit meh, nothing bad but no stand out moments either. I can see him gone next season.

Benteke the less said the better - absolutely dire.

I think Tex got better as the game went on.

Overall we put up a decent showing considering the team put out there and over the 90mins deserved a win.
Tex and Benteke both should have scored.

Really impressed with Brannagan showing the likes of Milner and Can how to play the midfield role. Along with Allen they completely nullified the vaunted Payet and his colleagues.

Smith showed he us already a glass above Moreno defensively, he was no mug going forward either.

Clyne after a couple if poor games was back to his best.

A couple of shaky moments for Lovren and Caulker but they did well overall.

No idea what has happened to Ibe, he seemed determined as Can  was not playing to make sure he kept up the stats of continually giving the ball away and completely ineffective going forward, Ojo should have come on earlier.

I found Tex's performance a bit meh, nothing bad but no stand out moments either. I can see him gone next season.

Benteke the less said the better - absolutely dire.

a glass above ?

When I saw the line up I feared the worst, but the kids played pretty well in the end, especialy second half.

Brannagan was MOTM, Texeira was good too.
Stewart and Smith both struggled a bit first half, but played well second.

It was our senior players that were poorer I thought. Our centre backs and goalie looked as shaky as ever. Ibe and Benteke both seem bereft of confidence right now. Clyne was ok. Allen messed up a couple of good opportunities, but put in a hell of a shift.

West Ham were sh*te I thought, considering they were up against our second string - how have they beaten us twice?

We deserved a win, but a draw is ok and the performance was better than I expected.

talk about dumbing down of expectations FSG have done a great job when people think that team and that performance is ok

I think you have to lower your expectations a bit when there are so many kids playing mate. Obviously if we had a full strength team out I would be more critical, but for the team we put out today... they did well.

My ratings:

Mignolet: No saves to make but the way he's carrying on it's just as well. I actually thought defensively we were pretty solid, and given his occasional arseing about that's no mean feat. 4/10.

Clyne: Good to have him back despite Flanno doing well in the last match. Solid as a rock, one of the best right backs in the league. 7/10.

Caulker: All in all did pretty well and performances like this put those over-reactions when we first loaned him into context. Did little or nothing wrong and pretty much what you see is what you get. 7/10.

Lovren: Not quite the Rolls Royce performance he was turning in pre-injury, but first game back was impressive. One misjudged cross  but other than that didn't put a foot wrong. Hopefully this was the prelude to him rediscovering the form which won him league player of the month pre-injury, and my MOM. 8/10.

Smith: A typical performance from a young lad finding his way in the game. Completely burned by Moses early on in the game he didn't let it bother him, one or two wrong decisions going forward but all in all a good outing. 6/10.

Allen: Thought he stuck to his task well and set the tone for the press. Wasted one good scoring opportunity, but by and large I thought he had a good, solid game. 7/10.

Stewart: Another young lad who will have learnt a lot. Got his foot in well, but clearly isn't a creative force in the final third and occasionally was wasteful with some awful shooting. 5/10.

Teixera: I think it was easy to see tonight why this lad hasn't yet broken through. There were his usual fine touches, but he was brushed away far too easily by bigger and more powerful players on occasions. That said he kept going and did have a couple of shots on target. I note from the vote he leads the MOm stats on here, but I'm sure thew same people who voted for him would be the first on his back when he disappears in games. 7/10.

Brenaghan: By a distance his best game in a red shirt, and came the closest on either team to scoring the winning goal. One of those lads who just needs to grow into his skin in a football sense, and I couldn't help but think what a young Steven Gerrard or Ross Barkley would have done in that game. That's the standard he needs to aim for, but he did well. 7/10. 

Ibe: Another young kids performance, good bits littered with untidy pieces. Going to be an absolutely top player though, it's as plain as the nose on his face. 6/10.

Benteke: Poor again and his confidence slump continues. Obviously a good player who has the potential to develop into a top one, but unfortunately he and we have allowed a situation to develop where he is a shadow of what he is capable of. 5/10.


Subs:


Ojo: Not sure he touched the ball did he? 3/10.

Enrique: Took a free kick which was a rival to Aspas's infamous corner. 1/10.

Other sub: Can't for the life of me remember who it was.

I think you have to lower your expectations a bit when there are so many kids playing mate. Obviously if we had a full strength team out I would be more critical, but for the team we put out today... they did well.

Spot on Saint.

It's like those asking "how far have expectations fallen" in the pre-match. It's not about expectations it's about managing an injury riddled squad. Jürgen was almost apologetic about the team he would have to play today but stressed he had no choice. The lads against Stoke ran an astonishing amount, a record for even Jürgen's team and yet still the expectation card is used.

Give the young lads the credit they deserve for keeping us in the cup today and giving the senior players the rest they most definitely needed. It was a cracking job they did and perhaps in the return leg we might be able to field a less make-shift first XI and then expectations will be to win the game without question.

Really struggling to see why so many can't taper their expectations to suit the situation we find ourselves in.

Imagine what people would be saying if we fielded the same team "our best XI" and 3 went off with hamstrings, we lost the game and then had to field this team in the league or cup final, use your heads lads and put team selections into context!

Lovren: Not quite the Rolls Royce performance he was turning in pre-injury, but first game back was impressive. One misjudged cross  but other than that didn't put a foot wrong. Hopefully this was the prelude to him rediscovering the form which won him league player of the month pre-injury, and my MOM. 8/10.

Considering we had so little to do at the back that was a pretty glaring mistake and should have seen us go 1 down. Interesting that you give him MotM on the back of that too Mick. Also came into midfield and missed a couple of challenges for headers, if you're going to commit yourself as a defender into the midfield area you have to win that duel.

Brenaghan: By a distance his best game in a red shirt 

Definitely, in fact his first, who is he and where does he play? 

Benteke: Poor again and his confidence slump continues. Obviously a good player who has the potential to develop into a top one, but unfortunately he and we have allowed a situation to develop where he is a shadow of what he is capable of. 5/10.

Really scraping the barrel for excuses that Mick, he was dire and putting the burden of blame on us rather than him is weak in my opinion.

Two players arriving at Anfield I was underwhelmed about.

Robbie Keane.

Christian Benteke.