ICC Game 1: Liverpool 0-1 Chelsea

I'd strangely say no.

On the set piece I don't think we got things terribly wrong, despite what the commentators say I think Grujic was the right guy to be picking up Cahill. The lad is a monster in size it was just that Cahill got first run and was more determined. Grujic will learn from it but organisation wise you could see we had a plan and in many ways it was the correct one.

You have to be able to trust your players to win their individual duels, it's been like that forever at set plays. It wasn't like it was one of our small players picking up their CB or that he was totally free, he just did really well to win the header but I'd go so far as to say Cahill is probably the best CB in the league for that type of goal.

In terms of breaking them down we created an awful lot more than they did, which admittedly wasn't much but in that first half I thought we created enough to bring it level and in the second they never looked close to scoring. I also think as defences go the likes of lower tier prem teams wont have that level of talent nor organisation so it was a good test and one we should be able to learn from in a game with very little importance on.

Sounds promising then. Grujic is a monster height wise and I'm sure over the next few years he will add the upper body strength and will learn to handle players like Cahill.

In terms of breaking teams down there is probably not many out there harder than a team managed by Conte.

Grujic did get clattered into by Cahill for their goal. 

Lets hope it doesnt happen again then.

Ball went in our net and Chelsea won the game.

How is Ragnar?

Don't know if anyone pointed it out but that pic is of the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas.

There goes me Kangaroo joke out of the window .

F*ck off with that tackle in preseason. Very easy to break an ankle like that.

And f*ck Craig Burley for downplaying it in an attempt to act like a hard man from back in the day. Metal studs up into the ankle like that are never acceptable.

George  Burley is an alky c**t.
My ex bird rejected his drunken advances in an Ipswich nightclub 1978 .
Wish they'd got together now. 

Craig Burley is an alky c**t.
My ex bird rejected his drunken advances in an Ipswich nightclub 1978 .
Wish they'd got together now.

 

Craig Burley is an alky c**t.
My ex bird rejected his drunken advances in an Ipswich nightclub 1978 .
Wish they'd got together now. 

Watching a full replay of the game (Was to lazy to get up to watch it a 4.35am)
There is the link for anyone who did not see it
http://www.fullmatchesandshows.com/2016/07/28/chelsea-vs-liverpool-highlights-full-match/2/

will add my two pence worth later... Enjoy

Didn't see the match but I did see the squad announcement just after 3am. My own feeling was that it looked quite limited and that we would find it hard to score goals, in addition to the obvious deficiencies in defensive options (Wisdom and Randall remain Championship players at best). Hearing about problems breaking down deep banks of defence again? Good job that it was made aware of in pre season if that's the case.

I saw some of the same obvious problems that we've had for a while: struggle to break teams down, poor at defending set pieces, crossing was pretty poor, gave away silly free kicks etc.

For once and for all take Moreno off set pieces, PLEASE! Never seen anybody as sh*t as him at them.

Other than that, not a bad fitness builder which is what it is in theory.

Craig Burley is an alky c**t.
My ex bird rejected his drunken advances in an Ipswich nightclub 1978 .
Wish they'd got together now. 

 

 

Well not awful
Some positive performances.
At least I got to speak to Ian Rush and my wife got on the pitch and onto the jumbo tron!!!
Off to work now fellow reds. Will have been 30 hrs since I last slept!
Hope all at the rose bowl had fun.

Lazy barsteward     


Watched in a daze of half sleepiness and only slightly awake so not entirely sure who were stand outs and who wasn't, deffo need a LB Moreno just isn't good enough and thats being kind, Ejaria was impressive, Mane exciting, Lovren and Kav efficient, Cou and Bobby need to do more,  Grujic needs to wisen up and sharply or he'll be on the bench more often than not,

Second half was a blurred vision experience caught between comatose and comfortably numb, so can't really express a opinion tbf,
hope to f**k this is the last time we tour countries West of the UK, sorry, you sceptics just need to book time off work if you want to see our boys play, but I do sympathise with our Antipodean buddies.

Thought Chavs were solid at the rear but pretty toothless up front, they took advantage of one set play where our marking was like dogshite, all over the place, we really need to work on set plays, could be our downfall if we don't.


All in all, must do better, even if it is pre season!


YNWA

I saw some of the same obvious problems that we've had for a while: struggle to break teams down, poor at defending set pieces, crossing was pretty poor, gave away silly free kicks etc.

For once and for all take Moreno off set pieces, PLEASE! Never seen anybody as sh*t as him at them.

Other than that, not a bad fitness builder which is what it is in theory.

Makes you wonder about Moreno how was he ever a winger?
We know he's sh*te at defending but his forward play doesn't really make up it!

Not seen the game but that tackle from Fabregas was F***ing woeful. It's preseason FFS.

Disappointing performance - pre season or not

Similar to last season; can't defend set pieces and toothless up front with too many players going missing for large chunks of the game

Think we've got a good one in Ejaria though

I watched the end of the first half and all the second half, I thought we looked promising and threatening until Klopp made the subs then we lacked any real bite, but you have to remember that this was the first game back for many of the lads who came on in the second half plus Chelsea looked very very solid at the back which you'd expect with Cahil and Terry plus Conte organising them. I think the chavs will be hard to score against this season but I'm not sure how many goals they have in them.

As for us I saw plenty of encouraging signs.

I watched the end of the first half and all the second half, I thought we looked promising and threatening until Klopp made the subs then we lacked any real bite,

Weirdly I thought we looked better AFTER 65 mins and those six subs, but then I was still half-asleep.

Still surprised to see us starting with the likes of Stewart, Randall, Ejaria etc. Season starts in a fortnight.

Weirdly I thought we looked better AFTER 65 mins and those six subs, but then I was still half-asleep.

Still surprised to see us starting with the likes of Stewart, Randall, Ejaria etc. Season starts in a fortnight.

We'll no doubt start to see more of the first team in the next few games. Thursday, Sunday, Tuesday - the U.S. games aren't very spaced apart.

The goal from a Liverpool stand point was so poor. The marking( Non marking) on Cahill was non existent... still it is best it happens now instead of in a months time... 27 mins into the game and Cou's turns the ball back to  Firmino in the box, his poor control lets Chelsea off the hook... as with Liverpool for the most part of last season, no real cutting edge...35th Min, some great build up play, Firmino just goes a faction early... 70th min Red card for Cesc Fabregas. Although it could have been a lot worse, and I would not like to see one of ours injured, Please Cese more of the same next month , but try to make it somewhat earlier in the match. 10th min maybe ... pretty poor since Cese's departure, but hey what do you expect with the three hags (Lallana,Milner and Henderson) on the pitch...still there is still plenty of time remaining in the transfer window to ship one or three of these out...

Well some 92 mins played and it is hard to judge just how much progress we have made pre-season.

Weirdly I thought we looked better AFTER 65 mins and those six subs, but then I was still half-asleep.

Still surprised to see us starting with the likes of Stewart, Randall, Ejaria etc. Season starts in a fortnight.

I actually wouldn't mind seeing more of Ejaria. The kid could make a step up this season. Agreed about the others, and I would throw Moreno into the mix as well. It's a scary thought that we would likely go into new season with him as our leftback. I sh*t my pants whenever anyone runs at him.

Oh, and a big fat "F**k you" to craig burley who was trying to sound like a hardass all game. What a F***ing tw*t.

Craig Burley is an alky c**t.
My ex bird rejected his drunken advances in an Ipswich nightclub 1978 .
Wish they'd got together now. 

 

Why's that Skip, was your ex a ugly alky kunt too?   

YNWA

We'll no doubt start to see more of the first team in the next few games. Thursday, Sunday, Tuesday - the U.S. games aren't very spaced apart.

I hope so. The AC Milan-Bayern Munich match before was more what you'd expect from a friendly. It was 3-3 but nowhere near as intense as this match in terms of tackles, etc. Hopefully the next two are at least safer for our players.

But Klopp's comments in the Echo this morning make me think he is sticking with Moreno, come hell or high water. As big a fan as I am of Jürgen, I truly do not get that one.

Today will be spent looking for good news on Grujic.

In fact, this just in from Empire of the Kop's Jordan Chamberlain:

"With Sadio Mane signed to play out wide on the right, Milner’s chances of a spot in the attacking midfield trio look slim… With Marko Grujic arriving to compete with fit again Jordan Henderson for the role next to Emre Can in the double-pivot, Milner’s chances here don’t look great either. If Klopp goes 4-3-3 there’s a spot for him somewhere in the middle, but could the 30-year-old now move to fullback, instead?

We badly need players in both positions and his preferred positions are covered.

His lungs and fitness are unrivalled, and he can swing in a cross on his right-foot expertly. Milner is strong, sensible and physical. He has all the traits a good fullback requires, and the ability to perform just as well on the left as the right. In fact, It’d be fair to say in a big game, many would trust Milner over Moreno at left-back – which says lots about both players.

Without an obvious natural fullback signing, and no European football – Klopp may be gambling on Milner providing support in the these areas. The former Manchester City man moved to Anfield to play central midfield for Brendan Rodgers, but one year down the line, he might be used in an even less favoured position than the right-wing he toiled in Sky Blue.

Still, his professionalism means he’s unlikely to kick up a fuss. If Klopp’s adamant that Moreno doesn’t need replacing, we might just have the required upgrade right under our noses."