[SoulRebel]

Originally Posted by safetyblitz

I thought for sure that you guys would give them more of a game. What happened? The highlights made you guys look horrible and Reina worse. Was this the truth of the matter?

I'd say so. Think Mascherano's funny half-hour did for them - 'Pool were in the match up until then without really threatening to score. Once Man U scored it was always a question of how many, and by the end it was no contest. Gerrard nowhere to be seen all game; Torres couldn't get going and was subbed; no-one else from 'Pool made any kind of impression. Though on that form Man U will beat allcomers, including Chel$ki.

Reina definitely at fault for first two goals, could do nothing about the third. Left his kicking boots at home too.

[Le Moor]

Originally Posted by The Watcher

Mascheranos sending off was nonsense. Ref's are stupid. They allow dumb tackles and divng and cheating but get upset when people talk to them or take off their shirts. It's all bollocks. We would have beaten liverpool without his bloody help and he ruined what was looking a decent game. Sure a man has his pride but people pay tickets and subscription to watch an even contest not a ref being a pratt

Refs are dumb and inconsistent at times, but it was obvious that ref was about to get pushed over the edge. When looking at the replays Mascherano clearly was cursing and in the refs face several times beforehand. Then after he recieves a yellow card he decides to run 20 yards to push himself in the refs face again, about an incident which had nothing to do with him. Nah, Mascherano was asking for it and he got it.

[rafa]

1)Im not even gonna use the sending off as an excuse

2)We're simply not good enough... anymore.

3)we've moved backwards since 05-06 where i feel we played our best football and had a decent league campaign.

4)Keep Reina, Agger, Skrtel, Arbeloa, Gerrard, Xabi, Mascherano, Lucas, Crouch, Torres - Bin the rest, blood some players from the academy- and start again in the summer. Easier said than done i know

5)As for the sending off, I blame Mascherano for being a complete donkey - saying that, the sending off was still a joke decision.

6) Not that it mattered - i think United would have beaten us regardless
simply because with 11 men , we were quite happy to sit down and defend for 90 mins without creating anything.

7)Even after the sending off, players showed no ambition to actually get something out of the game - Players and manager alike seemed quite happy to just give up and use the sending off as an excuse.

8) Mediocrity stinks.

[tobitrice]

4)Keep Reina, Agger, Skrtel, Arbeloa, Gerrard, Xabi, Mascherano, Lucas, Crouch, Torres - Bin the rest, blood some players from the academy- and start again in the summer. Easier said than done i know

I agree, it seems that another clear out is necessary even though i thought last years clear out would have been sufficient enough to at least challenge for the league title for the whole season. Would you get rid of babel? He hasnt been the best imo but the raw ability is plain to see for me. I really dont think our system suits him because we play him as a wide midfielder which he doesnt look too comfortable in. If he can improve his finishing (he appears to sacrifice accurate finishing for powerful shots), then i dont see the harm in playing him as a striker.
Xabi needs to step up. He still shows that he's a quality player, but i feel consistancy is an issue.

There are some promising youngsters in the academy. The ones which i feel are good enough to warrant an opportunity are insua (left back), jack hobbs (quality centre half for a 19 year old) and nemeth (a natural finisher imo 7 goals in 7 games).

[safetyblitz]

Who I am really surprised that Liverpool did not chase down was Anelka. I think he would have been the perfect forward to compliment Torres. Kuyt is a Holland version of Alan Smith and Crouch is just a specialty man whom you need to throw on late if you have a true winger on the pitch.

Also, I liked Sissoko in Mascherano's spot. He covered more space and did so fluidly. he also seemed to read the game better than Mascherano who just seems to run and break up attacks, but Sissoko started a lot of attacks and supported Gerrard. For some reason he just did not seem to stay in the rotation as he had to make room for the Spanish midfielders.

[rafa]

Originally Posted by tobitrice

4)Keep Reina, Agger, Skrtel, Arbeloa, Gerrard, Xabi, Mascherano, Lucas, Crouch, Torres - Bin the rest, blood some players from the academy- and start again in the summer. Easier said than done i know

I agree, it seems that another clear out is necessary even though i thought last years clear out would have been sufficient enough to at least challenge for the league title for the whole season. Would you get rid of babel? He hasnt been the best imo but the raw ability is plain to see for me. I really dont think our system suits him because we play him as a wide midfielder which he doesnt look too comfortable in. If he can improve his finishing (he appears to sacrifice accurate finishing for powerful shots), then i dont see the harm in playing him as a striker.
Xabi needs to step up. He still shows that he's a quality player, but i feel consistancy is an issue.

There are some promising youngsters in the academy. The ones which i feel are good enough to warrant an opportunity are insua (left back), jack hobbs (quality centre half for a 19 year old) and nemeth (a natural finisher imo 7 goals in 7 games).

Tobitrice

I forgotten to include Babel. id keep defintiely. He will be a huge player for us, alongside Skrtel and Lucas -

Nemeth would probably be a 110% improvement on Kuyt and Voronin as things stand lol

[Le Moor]

The thing about Babel and a few other Liverpool players, is that they all have big potential. The problem lies that Benetiz has no significant record at Liverpool of realising such potential. Its an even bigger issue than his flawed rotation system.

[tobitrice]

The guy does have a lot of potential doesnt he? I would rather benitez had purchased a finished article last summer instead of babel though, because first of all i feel that some of babel's unsatisfactory performances have cost us this season, and secondly i share the sentiment as to whether rafa is the right man for babel to realize his potential. Babel is being played as a wide midfielder and he doesnt look too comfortable in this position. A wide midfielder is supposed to track back and i dont think babel does this very well, but he shouldnt be made to do this since his natural instinct is to attack. The guy has brilliant attacking ability and i just fear that some of the defensive duties he's being made to do could stifle his progress.

Some of the 'hot' young prospects that benitez brought into the team did raise my eye brows too, such as gonzalez, paletta and leto.

well, bring on arsenal. im just going to enjoy the game instead of getting my nerves worked up, becasue i feel the damage has already been done this season. Even a good champions league run wont (or shouldnt) disguise the perspective that this has been a season of underachievement.

[Le Moor]

Originally Posted by tobitrice

The guy does have a lot of potential doesnt he? I would rather benitez had purchased a finished article last summer instead of babel though, because first of all i feel that some of babel's unsatisfactory performances have cost us this season, and secondly i share the sentiment as to whether rafa is the right man for babel to realize his potential. Babel is being played as a wide midfielder and he doesnt look too comfortable in this position. A wide midfielder is supposed to track back and i dont think babel does this very well, but he shouldnt be made to do this since his natural insticnt is to attack. The guy has brilliant attacking ability and i just fear that some of the defensive duties he's being made to do could stifle his progress.

Some of the 'hot' young prospects that benitez brought into the team did raise my eye brows too, such as gonzalez, paletta and leto.

well, bring on arsenal. im just going to enjoy the game instead of getting my nerves worked up, becasue i feel the damage has already been done this season. Even a good champions league run wont (or shouldnt) disguise the perspective that this has been a season of underachievement.

He reminds me so much of an early Henry, who started off as a winger. So thats the sort of potential i believe he has. Rafa has to get him to start scoring a prolific amount of goals or creating an exessive amount of assists.

[tobitrice]

Here is an article of rafa benitez being interviewed by guillem balague. A long but interesting read.


Rafael Benitez opens up on transfers, treachery, Torres, titles - and, of course, tinkering | Liverpool - Times Online

[rafa]

Good result tonight.

WAY WAY WAY TOO DEFENSIVE its TOO PAINFUL.

We could have killed this tie off tonight if we showed some balls and went for it.

[Kunjufu]

Originally Posted by rafa

Good result tonight.

WAY WAY WAY TOO DEFENSIVE its TOO PAINFUL.

We could have killed this tie off tonight if we showed some balls and went for it.

utter bollox you were lucky that bloody ref let you off the hook

[rafa]

Originally Posted by Kunjufu

utter bollox you were lucky that bloody ref let you off the hook

Nah

It was game over as soon as we scored to be honest.

Wenger knew it, Arsenal players knew it.

Reina would have saved that "penalty" anyway