Liverpool 0-0 Plymouth Argyle: In game and Post Match discussion

My main issue with yesterday was why we played that young a team. Was it really because we wanted to or because we had to?

Squad depth looks a bit sh*te doesn't it?

If the 'big boys' are playing in the semi and the United game then it was probably fair enough.  If loads of the 'names' are missing tomorrow then yes - they should have played against Plymouth.

But yeah - squad depth does look poor at present.  Liverpool know Sturridge has issues, they saw Coutinho go out with an injury in November, they knew Mane was going to the African Cup and Ings (who comes into these type of cup games) had his injury early Autumn.

Compared to some seasons I'd say our injury situations is pretty light at the moment and yet we still look like we only just have a first team.

They have 7 games but their league is nowhere even close to being played at a similar pace or intensity, football at that level is pretty slow so you can't compare them. Plymouth fans said as much on their forum after watching the Everton vs Southampton game. You say the tried and trusted have to get the job done instead but you have no idea what team will play that game, it'll no doubt be a very similar team to the home game.

It's hard to plan for something when you suffer injuries or experience the absences of some very key players.

This is the busiest time of the season. It's also a very difficult part of the season looking at a number of games we have this month. We knew this 6 months ago. Did we do much about it? Yeah, we sold off and let go defenders, midfielders, and forwards. We have had no specialist left back for 5 months. The Sakho saga drifts on with no sign of a resolution, and surprise surprise, now we're struggling for numbers at the back. We're currently 2 midfielders short, while Mane is off elsewhere. It was our responsibility to be prepared for this. Instead we're putting our faith in a pile of teenagers who can't handle Plymouth at home. Because they didn't take their chance, Klopp will turn to the regulars to get over this hurdle. Germans are pragmatists after all.

As well as more league games per season, their clubs also have several other cup competitions to compete in. But as a general observation, lower league football is traditional British fare, on pudding pitches, and frequent challenges that would lead to prosecutions anywhere else bar a football pitch, on much more limited resources. But you rarely hear them complain about their lot, unlike us who blow a gasket at been asked to play twice in 2 days, just once a season.

That's why I don't believe this nonsense about the magic of the FA Cup vanishing.

So will lower league clubs playing for a draw ever kill off the FA Cup? Will it heck!

This round of the Cup is all about the minnows, so you can celebrate a goalless draw against our reserves, as if you had gone to Barcelona and won 4-0.

The cup will never lose it's magic but to us and other big clubs, it's a distraction at this time of year from other priorities. Hence why we didn't take it that seriously. By the time spring comes round, it's a much bigger deal, where full houses in the stands and full strength sides on the pitch are guaranteed, while the minnows can enjoy it all from the comfort of a red button.

Hello

Another Plymouth fan in peace........

My first trip to Liverpool. The people were very friendly. Nobody could be more helpful. Even the police at Anfield were laughing and joking with the younger Argyle fans as were queued up.

It didn't really matter about the result. It was a chance to go to a big club, a great stadium and play against one of the most iconic teams in English football. So really none of us wanted to see our side thrashed but at the same time there was very little pressure on the team and the management. That factor alone helps the players stay relaxed because for them it was probably the biggest match, in terms of standard of the opposition, that a lot of them had faced.

You see whilst you did field a number of youngsters, Argyle finished the match with a number of youngsters themselves or players with very little football league experience.

In the summer our squad was totally thread-bare. Most players had left and so Adams had to find around 15+ new professionals to create a squad to be competitive at league two level. To knit a squad together that has us in the top 3 of league two is a fantastic achievement after less than six months. So for us Argyle fans to witness those players who put in such an organised and well drilled display on sunday it really was a fabulous achievement because that is a team made up of free transfer journeyman, rejects & promising youngsters. The latter of which has also seen another two players in Garita and Tanner added to by loan market.

If you watched Argyle this year, especially at home, you will see our strength in the team is in our fitness, character and never say die attitude. We have played some decent football but if I am honest most of the games have been about scraping and fighting hard to get over the line to obtain a result.

So when we rock up to Anfield it was never going to be any different than unfortunately what you guys were going to witness. We would all love to be on the front foot, playing some decent football and having a go but unfortunately you would tear us apart. So we did what we know how to do well. Make the game a scrap and a fight.  My only problem with Argyle's tactics was I personally did not like the fact we didn't press the ball. Way too much time and space for the ball player to ping a pass to. In fact in that first 30 minutes I felt like it was only a matter of time before you guys scored because we were so deep and yet you still managed to get around the back of us. Fortunately, McCormick either pulled off a good save or the ball rebounded off in the wrong direction and went to an Argyle shirt.

Yet we stood firm with the tactics and got through to half time.

I did think in the second half we had more intent about going forward. Again it wasn't brilliant but we had more purpose in our play. Yet the biggest difference was that Liverpool seemed to be losing belief in what they were doing so well for the first 30 minutes of the game. It played beautifully into our hands.

Had we lost the game you could argue about turning up for a game and not giving it a go. I mean after all its the FA CUP and for teams like us its all about having a go at a giant killing. Yet Derek Adams tactics were spot on simply because he managed to achieve a result that a number of us pilgrims before the game thought was very unrealistic to achieve. Even with a weakened Liverpool side.  His tactics achieved his objective. So how can you question the man who has just achieved one of Argyle's biggest results in their history and yet is in charge of a football club that hasn't brought a player for a transfer fee since our pre-administration days. Well that was true until we brought Nathan Blissett a few days ago (but he was cup tied).

We try to play football at League two level. Unfortunately, a number of the pitches make this difficult. Newport for example have a rugby team play on their football pitch at Rodney Parade. Imagine trying to play decent football on this. I mention this, along with our transfer poilicy, just to show the gulf between ourselves and the Premier league as a whole. It gets wider and wider each season because of the tv revenues and so to achieve a result at your fabulous club where you have blown away most teams week in, week out, means a great deal of happiness, satisfaction and provides a fantastic memory to the GreenArmy to savior.

As a fan of lower league football you are often left with very little enjoyment, as most of what is craved is to get out of footballs basement division. Its very hard seeing your team limp its way up and down the lower two tiers of English football for the years it has. And to see them limp against teams who main ambitions seem to be how can be time waste and slow the game down. Even if you can negate the opposition your left with man in the middle. The referee. Often it goes from appalling to dreadful. Some of them just don't have a "scooby doo" about what on earth they should be doing.

So all these frustration build up inside you. So it may not seem much to some folk. It maybe be mildly amusing to others to think fans could celebrate their team entrenched in the oppositions half for so long. For a performance that wasn't eye catching in a beautiful way, but yet was in a gladiatorial way. For most, if not all of us that were there, it replaces the dark days of administration, the relegation and struggles that followed it with a nicer memory which allows us to think our club could be back on the rise. As if you don't have hope as a lower league football fan. What else you left with? What would be the point?

With regards to the replay, I do think it will be a one sided affair unfortunately. You will enjoy passing it around on our playing surface which has to be one of the best outside of the championship. I think this time you will get a goal early on as you will have learnt from your mistakes on sunday and so as Argyle try to open up a little the game should get easier for you. Obviously I would love to say will get a win and have a great chance but in all realism your team should, and i imagine will, be too strong for us. Your team yesterday was still filled with many decent international players. You have youngsters who you would find are paid far more than our top earner. Talented players like Woodburn who, looking at his quick feet in the box yesterday, have a bright future ahead of him maybe young but they still have a significantly higher skill set than some of our developing talent . Even these "youngster" could easily grace the championship and perform in that league to a high standard. That in itself shows the gulf in levels of talent between the two clubs.

So I guess this is our moment in the sun. Yet if you asked most Argyle fans all they care about and want is promotion. Liverpool was a great experience. A day to Savior. However, the league is our priority and we would of all swapped a 5-0 drubbing for a guaranteed top 3 spot finish.

In terms of your club. Did Klopp get the team selection wrong? Well maybe but, and surely this was the weaker game in your fixture list and with the experience and talent you had on the field you should feel confident about it being enough to knock us out. Klopp was magnificent in the way he went over to all Argyle players and shook their hands. That went down so well among the Argyle support well because he is so magnanimous and gracious towards us on sunday. You have the right man in charge from what I have seen both on and off the field to deliver you back the championship you all crave for. Its refreshing to hear a manager just talk. The lack of BS he speaks when talking about the games is also favorable. Plus he has a great sense of humor which is perfect to handle the media. I'm confident he will bring back the title to Anfield because he is seems so driven but knowledgeable already about what is needed to make a decent team for the premier league. The only thing that will stop him I believe is that he isn't given enough funding so he can compete with the Chelsea's and Man City's.

Anyhow, to all those who do come down to Home Park I wish you a safe journey and I do hope our fans, but more importantly the people in our city show you guys the same hospitality and courtesy that you showed us when we came to town. Many thanks for helping make the day so very enjoyable!

Brilliant post and I'm glad you had a great day out.

I wasn't aware of your recent history regarding transfers so that makes your result even more impressive as you say. I was very disappointed with our performance on Sunday but I must say, I thought Plymouth worked their socks off, were organised throughout and kept to your game plan. It was a great effort and you thoroughly deserved your replay. As Mick says, it was recognised by many of our fans who applauded your team at full time - I was one of them!

I find it a little embarrassing that any fellow red have criticised your performance and for not coming out and having a go at us, especially at Anfield! The fitness levels between a premiership club and a league 2 side is massive, those supporters probably don't realise just how big the difference is, and if you had played in such a way then it may have been a cricket score. We are probably the fittest team in England and it plays right into our hands when another side wants to go toe to toe with us.  We struggle most when a team plays defensively and put numbers behind the ball.

I expect the replay to be almost identical. I think Plymouth will use the same tactics and look to take chances on set pieces and then possibly a pen shoot out. I can see it being a frustrating night for us.

Good luck for the replay and good luck for the rest of the season. Very well played on Sunday, well deserved.

Trying to get a ticket is so bloody frustrating,  the reds practically on my own doorstep