Liverpool F.c.

[kurtramsbottom]

4fs is there no way around the swear police ?bollecks

[kurtramsbottom]

Quite an interesting set up u have there and agree something needs to change at Liverpool. I'm not sure BR is quite that adventurous, but there should be no reason why this shouldn't be tried, but there is one big if with your selection, SG. You're placing huge onus on someone in his twilight years. So maybe add SG to your puffing list. personally I would prefer Sterling to provide the much needed width, but more should be done to hone his skills into this role. He is not a Marc Overmars.

& you ain't a Brendan rodgers ,never mind a Liverpool supporter.

[fonsboy]

don't really know what markovic has done to warrant a start. came on on saturday and looked like a deer in the headlights as he usually does. sterling seriously needs some help - coutinho was crap on saturday, lallana huffed and puffed but didn't really achieve much and it's surprising when you actually see lambert live just how little movement he has. no trying to lose his man, no gambling on the front post runs, nothing. just kind of stands there up the top. very disappointing.

we were utter crap until gerrard came on and even then we had not much threat. i can't really see where the goals are coming from at the moment so basle could well be another anodyne 0-0 draw and a relatively easy day for their defenders.

Stevie, is there any chance u can get off sitting on that fence, and instead come up with an alternative, so if Markovic was startled, Coutinho crap, Lallana puffed and Lambert disappointed, what would u suggest instead?

at this point i'd try something different because the current setup isn't working. lambert isn't mobile enough, doesn't make the kind of runs you need a striker to make to give opposing defences something to think about and on saturday brown and o'shea could have both brought their pipes and slippers along. too often it was a case of give the ball to sterling and see if he can have a run at them and maybe get somewhere. it's too clueless and too obvious and far too easy for even average defences to defend against.

so i'd be tempted to try sterling as a false nine with perhaps lallana and coutinho either side of him. play gerrard at the front of the midfield three with a remit to get close to sterling and play off him or look to play sterling through on a late run, because we've got to start getting behind teams. one-twos around the edge of the box, create shooting opportunities for gerrard and perhaps henderson arriving late. also have lallana and coutinho tuck in close to sterling and gerrard and leave room up the outsides for moreno and johnson to form genuine attacking options from fullback and for those two to also look to get in behind the opposing defence. because at the moment we're no threat at all and don't pull defenders out of shape in any way.

that alternative enough for you our kid? yours with assorted anal splinters, stevie.

Stevie you may think Markovic is not worth a start , but he is an alternative to Lambert , when he plays we are the easiest team in the Prem to defend against .

[Somtamme]

Quite an interesting set up u have there and agree something needs to change at Liverpool. I'm not sure BR is quite that adventurous, but there should be no reason why this shouldn't be tried, but there is one big if with your selection, SG. You're placing huge onus on someone in his twilight years. So maybe add SG to your puffing list. personally I would prefer Sterling to provide the much needed width, but more should be done to hone his skills into this role. He is not a Marc Overmars.

& you ain't a Brendan rodgers ,never mind a Liverpool supporter.

. I'm sorry but it's not my selection. Point ur finger elsewhere. But remember if u remain with such blinkered vision, actually ur not supporting ur side or doing them any favours.

[Somtamme]

Fonsboy, I agree in a way with ur point, Lambert is not adding much to the team and if any of the promise and talent of Markovic could be unleashed, this has to be a better option.

[Devil]

Cant see us getting shut of the manager until the summer... and its madness to even consider it this early on in the season.

The biggest issue for the manager is how to drop Gerrard or use him in another role or just as a impact sub when needed - and give the new signings such as Lovren a seat on the bench (his confidence is shot)

Toure deserves a place in the back four based on his performance against Madrid as does Lucas in the midfield. And I want to see us stick with a back four and not rotating.

The back four needs protection, so sit both Lucas and Can in front of the defence (two holders) and then pick or rotate any of the other midfielders, attackers in front of them.

I would be happy with a clean sheet at this point...

Well the defending has improved and we have had a few clean sheets...

Sadly our attacking play still looks so dissjointed and apart from the odd glimpse here and there against what has to be said has been very average opposition!

Last season we hit the opposition with pace and drive on the counter attack which mostly came from winning the ball back with our high pressure in numbers. Or we at least had movement in and around the opponents box, dragging defenders out of position which all looks a million light years away from our current play.

The Striker positions was and is still key to our play. I hear what Stevie H is saying about using Sterling in that role as he has pace and movement so we can then use other players strengths such as (Coutinho, Henderson, Lallana) that are all capable of clever quick passing and movement with runs into the box.

We need a Striker asap that HAS pace, guile and 'be' willing to put in a shift and this January window will be the last bite of the cherry for the manager in my opinion to get it right. Ok we needed to add some squad depth in the summer but that does not explain the signings of both Balotelli and Labert nor the reason why we don't play Borini?

[longstebe]

Hopefully he tries something a bit different up top, I'd go with Sterling and Borini. Coutinho has nobody in front of him with any movement or pace at the moment.

[Devil]

Hopefully he tries something a bit different up top, I'd go with Sterling and Borini. Coutinho has nobody in front of him with any movement or pace at the moment.

Yes exactly or at least have the option of Borini on the bench for this.

[StevieH]

@ stevie sorry mate but "false 9" that is <deleted> ,it doesn't exist & if it did it should be confined to the the southern spoken folk.

if it's good enough for vicente del bosque it's good enough for me mate. i think it's a clever tactic, pulls central defenders out of their comfort zone.

[fonsboy]

Hopefully he tries something a bit different up top, I'd go with Sterling and Borini. Coutinho has nobody in front of him with any movement or pace at the moment.

Yes exactly or at least have the option of Borini on the bench for this.

Now the Echo is saying Shey Ojo could be on the bench . We could / should have had Sterling ,Ibe & Ojo from the start of the season . But for reasons only known by whoever is running the playing side of the club we chose to buy Balotelli & Lambert , these 3 great young talents should have been rotated .

[longstebe]

Hopefully he tries something a bit different up top, I'd go with Sterling and Borini. Coutinho has nobody in front of him with any movement or pace at the moment.

Yes exactly or at least have the option of Borini on the bench for this.

Now the Echo is saying Shey Ojo could be on the bench . We could / should have had Sterling ,Ibe & Ojo from the start of the season . But for reasons only known by whoever is running the playing side of the club we chose to buy Balotelli & Lambert , these 3 great young talents should have been rotated .

On the other hand if the young lads hadn't performed under the pressures of the premiere league week in week out, we would be complaining we didn't sign anyone with experience.

[StevieH]

Hopefully he tries something a bit different up top, I'd go with Sterling and Borini. Coutinho has nobody in front of him with any movement or pace at the moment.

Yes exactly or at least have the option of Borini on the bench for this.

Now the Echo is saying Shey Ojo could be on the bench . We could / should have had Sterling ,Ibe & Ojo from the start of the season . But for reasons only known by whoever is running the playing side of the club we chose to buy Balotelli & Lambert , these 3 great young talents should have been rotated .

On the other hand if the young lads hadn't performed under the pressures of the premiere league week in week out, we would be complaining we didn't sign anyone with experience.

yeah agree. when sterling came through there were people advocating selling him 'cos he wasn't the wonderkid they were expecting. the pressure on them is immense and if not managed correctly it can cripple their belief and careers.

tonight and in general, it's time for the senior players to step up.

[kurtramsbottom]

@ stevie sorry mate but "false 9" that is <deleted> ,it doesn't exist & if it did it should be confined to the the southern spoken folk.

if it's good enough for vicente del bosque it's good enough for me mate. i think it's a clever tactic, pulls central defenders out of their comfort zone.

I know the tactic ,but I just don't like the term "false 9" as I first heard it used by a spurs fan & thought it sounded stupid like "inverted wingers" .

After doing some reading on t'internet I now know that a "false 9" was first used in the 1930's by the Austrian wunderteam ,so I suppose I can accept the term "false 9" knowing it wasn't invented by some shandy sipping southerner.

[longstebe]

@ stevie sorry mate but "false 9" that is <deleted> ,it doesn't exist & if it did it should be confined to the the southern spoken folk.

if it's good enough for vicente del bosque it's good enough for me mate. i think it's a clever tactic, pulls central defenders out of their comfort zone.

I know the tactic ,but I just don't like the term "false 9" as I first heard it used by a spurs fan & thought it sounded stupid like "inverted wingers" .

After doing some reading on t'internet I now know that a "false 9" was first used in the 1930's by the Austrian wunderteam ,so I suppose I can accept the term "false 9" knowing it wasn't invented by some shandy sipping southerner.

I can feel the love towards the southerners, boozes out of ya.

[kurtramsbottom]

@ stevie sorry mate but "false 9" that is <deleted> ,it doesn't exist & if it did it should be confined to the the southern spoken folk.

if it's good enough for vicente del bosque it's good enough for me mate. i think it's a clever tactic, pulls central defenders out of their comfort zone.

I know the tactic ,but I just don't like the term "false 9" as I first heard it used by a spurs fan & thought it sounded stupid like "inverted wingers" .

After doing some reading on t'internet I now know that a "false 9" was first used in the 1930's by the Austrian wunderteam ,so I suppose I can accept the term "false 9" knowing it wasn't invented by some shandy sipping southerner.

I can feel the love towards the southerners, boozes out of ya.

freudian slip there Stebe

[longstebe]

@ stevie sorry mate but "false 9" that is <deleted> ,it doesn't exist & if it did it should be confined to the the southern spoken folk.

if it's good enough for vicente del bosque it's good enough for me mate. i think it's a clever tactic, pulls central defenders out of their comfort zone.

I know the tactic ,but I just don't like the term "false 9" as I first heard it used by a spurs fan & thought it sounded stupid like "inverted wingers" .

After doing some reading on t'internet I now know that a "false 9" was first used in the 1930's by the Austrian wunderteam ,so I suppose I can accept the term "false 9" knowing it wasn't invented by some shandy sipping southerner.

I can feel the love towards the southerners, boozes out of ya.

freudian slip there Stebe

Too long in Holland that, still playing tricks on me.

[kurtramsbottom]

Good read in last nights Echo.

Liverpool FC analysis: Philippe Coutinho struggling to make his mark as LFC's 'brains'

As recently as July, Brendan Rodgers described Philippe Coutinho as “the brain” of this Liverpool team.

The Brazilian was enjoying a scintillating pre-season campaign, exciting fans throughout the Reds’ tour of the USA.

With Luis Suarez gone, there was a vacancy for a match winner, a crowd favourite, a hero.

Coutinho, with those dancing feet and that turn of pace, seemed to fit the bill.

“He is the one that gets the team ticking,” Rodgers said back then. “He makes the crowd get off their seat. He’s a wonderful technician that has a great idea, tactically, of the game.”

Few would have argued at the time, but friendlies are one thing. And since the serious stuff began, Coutinho’s form has mirrored that of his team; Liverpool’s “brain” looks scrambled at present.

There were signs last season, during that epic title chase, that the penny had dropped with the 22-year-old; that he was starting to add a Premier League work-rate to his undoubted individual talent.

Think of the games at Anfield against Everton, Arsenal and Manchester City – the influence he had on those. He buzzed about the pitch, he closed down, he stuck his foot in, and he ensured a regular supply line for his frontmen. He scored five league goals himself, assisting seven.

That was then, though. This is now.

Left out at Leicester City in midweek, he was restored to Rodgers’ starting 11 here, deployed in his favoured No.10 role and asked to provide that crucial link between midfield and attack.

The Sunderland game in pictures:

VIEW GALLERY

Rodgers’ logic was, on the face of it, sound enough. Sunderland were always going to come and sit, challenging Liverpool to break them down. With an experienced back four, protected by a specialist holding midfielder in Liam Bridcutt, Gus Poyet’s side were never likely to allow this to be an open, end-to-end game.

And with Steven Gerrard once more held in reserve, the hope was that Coutinho could find the key to the door, that moment of quality to turn a frustrating afternoon into a fruitful one.

He couldn’t.

He certainly saw enough of the ball, and generally he used it tidily enough. The trouble was, most of his work came in areas that were never likely to hurt the opposition.

For a player whose game is based on incisive passing, he failed to attempt a single through-ball all afternoon. Not one of his passes was directed into the Sunderland penalty area. Chances created? Zero.

He wasn’t alone in his disappointment, of course. Some of Liverpool’s “creative” work here was chronic, to say the least. Adam Lallana was no better, nor was Jordan Henderson. Coutinho at least TRIED to find a way through. He had more shots (five) than anyone else on the pitch.

But creativity is Coutinho’s domain. It is what he is asked to do, what he is expected to do. It will sound harsh, but if he is not creating then there is little point him being in the side. He certainly didn’t add anything from a defensive point of view here.

Read more: what we learned from Liverpool 0 Sunderland 0

There is no question that he, more than most, is missing the movement of Daniel Sturridge ahead of him. A player like Coutinho, all quick feet and short bursts of acceleration, needs space in which to operate, he needs a mobile target to direct his passes towards.

Having a striker like Sturridge, willing to run in behind defences and drag them out of position, provides that. A more static target man, such as Mario Balotelli or, in this instance, Rickie Lambert, removes it.

As yet, there is no sign of Coutinho striking up a relationship with either. Here, he and Lambert exchanged just three passes – and one of those was from the kick-off.

Perhaps that lack of a connection explains why Coutinho is attempting more dribbles – 2.4 per game this season compared with 1.8 last. Unable, or unwilling, to trust those ahead of him, he is trying to do it all himself and actually doing less as a result.

Certainly, there are visible signs of frustration in his game. He gave Lambert an earful here after a loose touch from the frontman late in the first half, and spent a full minute shaking his head after seeing Henderson fire an attempted pass against his shins shortly afterwards.

That in itself is not a huge problem – Luis Suarez would give his team-mates dog’s abuse at times, remember – but what is more worrying is the noticeable drop-off in Coutinho’s work rate this season.

The pressing, the positivity, the aggression; they have all dipped. He is making fewer tackles per game, fewer interceptions, and committing more petulant fouls.

Of course, it is understandable that a 22-year-old will have peaks and troughs. This is not the finished article we are talking about.

But if the Reds are to progress, they will need their Brazilian star to rediscover his mojo. The worry is, it may need Sturridge to return to make that happen.

More on LFC 0 Sunderland 0: James Pearce's verdict as lacklustre display gives glimpse of life without Steven Gerrard

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http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/liverpool-fc-analysis-philippe-coutinho-8244073

[longstebe]

Hopefully he tries something a bit different up top, I'd go with Sterling and Borini. Coutinho has nobody in front of him with any movement or pace at the moment.

Yes exactly or at least have the option of Borini on the bench for this.

Now the Echo is saying Shey Ojo could be on the bench . We could / should have had Sterling ,Ibe & Ojo from the start of the season . But for reasons only known by whoever is running the playing side of the club we chose to buy Balotelli & Lambert , these 3 great young talents should have been rotated .

Ojo playing at the moment.

[kurtramsbottom]

Starting ... Mignolet,jonno,Skrtel,Toure,Moreno,henderson,lucas,Allen,Gerrard,sterling,Lickie.

[champers]

I'd have picked Balotelli. I bet he comes off the bench and gets the winner - just to spite everyone who has slagged him off. Typical of the man!

[kurtramsbottom]

I'd have picked Balotelli. I bet he comes off the bench and gets the winner - just to spite everyone who has slagged him off. Typical of the man!

I'd be more than happy if that were the scenario. still won't stop me slating the bellend

edit

Balotelli out ,still crocked.

Edited December 9, 2014 by kurtramsbottom

[kurtramsbottom]

Hopefully he tries something a bit different up top, I'd go with Sterling and Borini. Coutinho has nobody in front of him with any movement or pace at the moment.

Yes exactly or at least have the option of Borini on the bench for this.

Now the Echo is saying Shey Ojo could be on the bench . We could / should have had Sterling ,Ibe & Ojo from the start of the season . But for reasons only known by whoever is running the playing side of the club we chose to buy Balotelli & Lambert , these 3 great young talents should have been rotated .

Ojo playing at the moment.

and the u19s scored the 3 goals needed to qualify ...13 mins added time in the game

[longstebe]

Starting ... Mignolet,jonno,Skrtel,Toure,Moreno,henderson,lucas,Allen,Gerrard,sterling,Lickie.

Bit early innit?

Inside information?

[longstebe]

Mignolet, Johnson, Enrique, Lovren, Skrtel, Lucas, Allen, Henderson, Gerrard , Sterling, Lambert.

Substitutes: Jones, Sakho, Moreno, Can, Lallana, Coutinho, Markovic.

Edit: Oozing creativity.

Edited December 9, 2014 by longstebe

[kurtramsbottom]

Starting ... Mignolet,jonno,Skrtel,Toure,Moreno,henderson,lucas,Allen,Gerrard,sterling,Lickie.

Bit early innit?

Inside information?

yeah i know ged got it off facebook ...nearly right

[kurtramsbottom]

Mignolet, Johnson, Enrique, Lovren, Skrtel, Lucas, Allen, Henderson, Gerrard , Sterling, Lambert.

Substitutes: Jones, Sakho, Moreno, Can, Lallana, Coutinho, Markovic.

Edit: Oozing creativity.

yeah got the makings of a fluent passing masterclass this one.

[longstebe]

Anyway, looks like I'll miss this one, back to Los tonight.

[kurtramsbottom]

if you miss it because you are flying i reckon you'll be happy when you land 2-1

[Chicog]

It's called in football parlance "a mountain to climb".

[kurtramsbottom]

^Nothing new at Anfield