Liverpool Fc @ Anfield - Reds Supporters Gatherings

[rahl]

Originally Posted by canthaveenuf

Wonder how much of this can be attributed to:

a) the DIC issue? Could this be playing on the players' minds?
b) Rafa using the 3-men attack scheme too often? Has it become too predictable?
c) the team tried too hard, because it is a local derby. If they had relaxed a bit more and played their usual game, maybe things may have been different?
d) the team tried too hard because they know they are getting closer and closer to the coveted 2nd spot?

So many reasons? I don't think the investment was a factor.

Fair play to Everton who did their job well. We just didn't have the movement and quality in the end to create clear chances. Pennant was a good outlet on the right but his crosses were poor. I thought Crouch had a bad game particularly and allowed Yobo and Stubbs to dominate.

Well we gotta wait for next season for revenge!

[Frankiestine]

wat a damper of a match...now those bloody evertonians are still going to have bragging rights till next season...

[Cummon]

Looking at the bright side,the fact that they came to Anfield looking only for a draw showed that they have too much respects for us at the moment.

Anyway together with another earlier goaless draw with Pompey,we have lost four precious points at home. We have only ourselves to blame,to be champions we have to score against our opponents,whether there are 4 or 10
defenders in front of their goal,that's football.

Looking forward to having an exciting week ahead as George Gillete & Tom Hicks are all set to table a formal bid to take over our beloved LFC.

[ukcheong]

I suggest we dun read too much into the draw... wat basically happened was that Everton raised their defensive performance 150% - as usual in a derby. They knew this time they ain't gonna get the 3-0 repeat and knowing Liverpool's recent form, Moyes knew it's suicidal to play an open game. No shame in just parking "the fooking team bus across the goal", to quote a certain Mr Mourinho.

Esp when their MOM Stubbs was playing out of his skin!! To win tis type of game we need "magic" players which can conjure up one moment!

Let's look fwd to the Newcastle match instead... YNWA

[beck7777]

But still kinda disappointed we didnt win the derby...

We had so much possesion and attempts so not to score even one is quite unexcusable...

Anyway, we are lucky Arsenal dropped points too.. But the top two pull away from us again..

[LSB_Fan]

Sigh.... a disappointing score... was hoping for 3 points to close the gap

[Joe73]

Sorry Reds lost. Good game though

No team on earth could have beaten the blueshites 9-0-1 formation today. Especially when all 9 defenders took up their places inside their own 18 yard box.

Rafa's right - only one team tried to win the match. The Neverton formation and tactics were all about damage limitation. There was no way any strikeforce in the Premiership was going to be able to navigate it's way through a penalty area that resembled a mosh pit.

Apart from not sticking the ball in the onion bag, which was always the most likely case when you go against a team as negatively-minded as this, our boys battered the crap out of them.

[ah_ray]

i agree with a lot of what's been said. to add...

if rafa 'knew' the game would be narrow and compact before-hand, why couldnt he come up with a match-winning plan? he's had since wednesday to think about it.

rafa 'knew' they'd start with 3 players in the middle of the park, why did we only play 2? if he 'knew' they would play narrow, why didnt we play TWO out-and-out wingers? we had 2 on the bench for 94 minutes.

rafa talks alot about 'balance' - of which we showed a lack of today. tactically, rafa got 'done' today by a manager of a 'smaller' team.

i have the utmost respect for rafa and love the guy, but he does make sum frustrating comments and decisions sometimes.

...he's said 'smaller teams' out of bitterness, stooping to their level - he knows how big a game this was in terms of our title aspirations so having a dig at the intertoto-bluesh1te should be the last of his concerns.

as i've said numerous times before, [1] crouch should ALWAYS start on the bench in 'big' games as he's simply not good enough, [2] we need kewell and sissoko back & [3] we need a 'creative' influence higher up the pitch, ie. gerrard being unshackled

[KingEros]

Originally Posted by ah_ray

... he's said 'smaller teams' out of bitterness, stooping to their level - he knows how big a game this was in terms of our title aspirations so having a dig at the intertoto-bluesh1te should be the last of his concerns.

What's wrong with calling a spade what it really is ... ie, a spade??
Everton's a club who had to sell Rooney ... their genius of a find.
Everton's a club Rooney decide to leave ... despite the fact that he grew up supporting them.
Adding fuel to the fire, Everton's a club who can't even hold onto a certain Tomas Gravesen.
If this is not a small club, then what is??
Yes, we're talking about facilities, ambitions & wealth ...

Originally Posted by ah_ray

... as i've said numerous times before, [1] crouch should ALWAYS start on the bench in 'big' games as he's simply not good enough, [2] we need kewell and sissoko back & [3] we need a 'creative' influence higher up the pitch, ie. gerrard being unshackled

First thing first ... who are you to "I've said numerous times before"??
Have you even tried coaching a age-group side of the local S-league??

On another note, you do remind me of the typical USMS submissions ... all very great at pointing out the problems, but never able to come up with any solution of significance:
1) if Crouch should be left on the bench ... who should have played instead, in view that Rafa ws using 3 strikers to force Everton into panic?? Giving you the benefit of the doubt, let's drop Crouch & play just 2 up front ... did Bellamy or Kuyt fare any better against that "school bus" parked in front of Howard??
2) Kewell & Sissoko ... dun you know both are still short of match fitness & you wanna play them in the 150kmh derby?? You must have been doing very well in Fantasy Fottball, hor??
3) just who were you thinking of when you suggested "creative influence higher up the pitch"?? if it was a case of "horse back cannon", I can still close one eye ... but yours is really nothing more a case of "got say macam no say".

Originally Posted by ah_ray

i have the utmost respect for rafa and love the guy, but he does make sum frustrating comments and decisions sometimes.

You're such a hypocrite ... how can you even say you RESPECT & LOVE someone when it's akin to you trying to teach a bird how to fly or a fish how to hold their breath underwater.

In Rafa I trust ... 'coz I know for a fact it's more than a uphill task to win the EPL after almost 2 decades of barren spell. Just imagine this ... if you never bonk for almost 20 years, you think just 2 weeks of Tongkat Ali is gonna make you the Black Stallion??

[rahl]

Originally Posted by kb_soo80

No team on earth could have beaten the blueshites 9-0-1 formation today. Especially when all 9 defenders took up their places inside their own 18 yard box.

Apart from not sticking the ball in the onion bag, which was always the most likely case when you go against a team as negatively-minded as this, our boys battered the crap out of them.

I don't agree with that bro. There are going to be tons of teams coming to Anfield to defend. We have to our credit battered most of them this season with good play, finishing and patience.

Against Everton we didn't achieve a high quality of play. They were pretty comfortable to be honest.

Of cos Rafa has to say what he has to say after a derby but he would have expected the "small clubs" to play defensively. It is his responsibility to pick the team that will unlock the defense and the players' responsibility to play up to standard.

I'm not too disappointed cos over the course of the season at home, we have destroyed most of the opposition, both big and small

[rahl]

Originally Posted by KingEros

On another note, you do remind me of the typical USMS submissions ... all very great at pointing out the problems, but never able to come up with any solution of significance:
1) if Crouch should be left on the bench ... who should have played instead, in view that Rafa ws using 3 strikers to force Everton into panic?? Giving you the benefit of the doubt, let's drop Crouch & play just 2 up front ... did Bellamy or Kuyt fare any better against that "school bus" parked in front of Howard??
2) Kewell & Sissoko ... dun you know both are still short of match fitness & you wanna play them in the 150kmh derby?? You must have been doing very well in Fantasy Fottball, hor??
3) just who were you thinking of when you suggested "creative influence higher up the pitch"?? if it was a case of "horse back cannon", I can still close one eye ... but yours is really nothing more a case of "got say macam no say".

Well both of you have your point so I am not gonna butt in but I will say Rafa could have made substitutions to change the game. He has done this regularly enough so it's surprising only Robbie came on 5 mins before the end.

E.g. I would have put in Aurelio on the left to put in some decent crosses cos Riise wasn't getting much luck there. Or take off one of the defenders cos AJ was alone up front all game.

But before you say I play fantasy football, I will stop here. It was a tough game with fine margins and at the end of the day we weren't good enough. We move on and try to win on another day.

[hawksbay]

come on u fellow reds its just a minor setback.we cant win them all.so cheer up guys.

[KingEros]

Originally Posted by rahl

I would have put in Aurelio on the left to put in some decent crosses cos Riise wasn't getting much luck there. Or take off one of the defenders cos AJ was alone up front all game.

1) Aurelio still has a niggling injury ... ie, not 100%
2) Aurelio is still very much a foreigner to the English game, not to mention a derby game at 150kmh.

With 3 defenders, AJ still nearly nicked one in ... you think Rafa got the balls to play a flat 4??

Originally Posted by rahl

But before you say I play fantasy football, I will stop here.

Nah, I won't do that ... your past track record has enough credibility to suggest you're a True Koppite, a Red fan associated with knowledge of the game (not just a mouth that shouts or bitches every time we dun win).

Originally Posted by rahl

It was a tough game with fine margins and at the end of the day we weren't good enough. We move on and try to win on another day.

That I agree whole-heartedly ... but on the day, that's about as good as we would ever get this season. My sentiments are "we try to learn & build on the hunger to wanna win every bloody game next season".

[LSB_Fan]

I think Crouch had a bad game... We have Reina to thank for the draw... How Andy Johnson did not score after our defence screwed up was beyond me ... phew