Liverpool (H) - Post-Match Thread

Nelinho said:
Great game against a great team with a huge advantage in terms of fitness. City showed character responding from behind and had clear opportunities to win the match...

Players such as Raz, Kevin, Kyle etc need rest desperately, nevertheless gave all they got, cannot ask for more. Feran is developing (while Yota, for example, is already the finished article). Gabby (who is still a kid) has just returned, will score again and deliver a MOM performance. Joao, yet unestablished, is gradually finding his steps (and could have decided the match with that wonderful key pass to Gabby). The central defensive duo composed and calm against a lethal attacking line. Ilkay generally reliable while Rodri is expected to struggle in matches with high intensity. Nothing new about that, the boy does show commitment but will have to improve in terms of speed of thought and decision making so as to survive in the PL. Bernardo is still searching his confidence and form...

City needed to control the rhythm of the match, could not afford the luxury to heighten the pace and / or commit a lot of people forward, the reasons are obvious. In general, I'm satisfied with what I've seen displayed on a heavy pitch (which made things even more complicated). I would prefer to blend our game with some directness though. We can play our forwards in space from behind more often I believe, which will provide another dimension complementing our usual patient, short passing build up in search of the decisive combination. City need to work on these alternative patterns, it will benefit the team significantly...

PS. I know that all the above do not make much sense for some people. Which means they will continue with their unrealistic expectations and their unfair criticism. Towards this kind of ignorance (or trolling) people like me will keep defending the team...
PS2. Once again, this time in a derby at home, City were fucked by the ref. The rules of the game are completely different for City. Fact. Every touch on a Liverpool player is a foul, City players need to bleed so as to earn one. I don't know why Pawson even needed to check the monitor for the penalty, didn't he see the hand ball? While highlight of the match, that throw in incident : Mane kicks the ball inside the pitch to give his teammates time to reorganize, in front of Pawson's eyes. Instead of booking him, the ref volunteers to take the ball out of the pitch himself...
I will never understand the club's strategy towards this situation, witnessed consistently week in week out. Why we have accepted this attitude as normality, it's totally beyond me. I'm sorry, but it affects our psychology, it influences our performance, the team suffers. Yet we remain silent and generous...
Click to expand...
In what world do they have a huge advantage in fitness? And don’t give me anything about pre season, you can’t use that excuse for a whole season.
 
All in all a decent performance. We had some decent chances, Jesus header, KDB forgot his shooting boots. A close game as expected.
 
wolviedinho said:
We all want it to happen mate. I would love for Phil to take the role on. Why pep is not allowing this to happen is anyone’s guess. If pep does not see him as a silva replacement we need to buy.
Click to expand...
Would be criminal for the lad’s development if we signed someone to play there without giving him a chance. The time has come to give him a run of games there. Seems we’re pretty much in agreement that we’re missing Silva and Foden could be the answer if he was given the chance.
 
hgblue said:
Would be criminal for the lad’s development if we signed someone to play there without giving him a chance. The time has come to give him a run of games there. Seems we’re pretty much in agreement that we’re missing Silva and Foden could be the answer if he was given the chance.
Click to expand...
They are different players
Phil offers more penetration and finishing
Silva more control
Need to learn how to beat play Phil
Play him right and he is world class
 
Couldn't watch the game but just seen highlights. How that foul on Sterling is not given yet Livarpool were awarded a penalty for considerably less contact than that on Sterling beggars belief. Corrupt, and without fans football on tv is crap.
 
come-on-barney said:
Let’s say Pep is staying. He rebuilds the spine. Adding Dias and Ake alongside Laporte, Eddie and Walker/Cancelo. Maybe a left back to come. Next summer we add a world class striker and world class midfielder. Plus the youngsters coming through. Makes us much harder to beat, and adapt to the counter attack. Pep reinvents the tactics. This makes sense to me, missing ingredient is for Pep to sign the contract.
Click to expand...

Yep agreed, we're 2 / 3 players away from have the perfect team.
 
not great. i miss out spine. will we get back to the levels of our greats?!
 
abu13 said:
Genuine question but is this exactly what we have been calling for?

How many times have we said we need to tighten up at the back, not only with a new centre half but also with our formation.

We have done so this season but the trade off is that we are nowhere near as attacking and expansive as in the past. Today was typical of a match we could have won or lost 4-2 over the last 3 seasons. I suspect that as we are not firing on all cylinders at present Pep is being a lot more pragmatic. Win our game in hand and we are only 2 points behind the dippers, if we had lost today then best case we would still be 5 points behind.
Click to expand...

One of the few who gets it.
 
I thought we were going to get mullered after 25 mins and was seriously thinking Pep had come to the end of his line but the goal changed everything and it was pretty level after that.

Marks out of ten

Pep (4)
Out thought with the 424 they played early on and we looked shit scared and very, very slow and predictable. Improved the team in the second half but I think that was more due to the change in tempo the goal brought rather than anything different Pep did. We should have gone for it with 20 left as they were there for the taking but again we were ponderous and looked very scared and happy to take a point. Understandable but a bit gutless. Also can't believe he only made one sub. Don't moan about 5 subs and fatigue if you haven't got the balls to make the subs when needed (eg Phil for Kev)

Eddy (5)
Looked a bit shaky at times. Lucky with a few indecisions. Footwork brilliant as usual

Kyle (5)
Worst game for us for a while and stupid challenge again for the pen. His pace got him out of a few bad moments

Cancello (8)
Really good game and looks like our best option at left back by far

Ruben (7)
Solid again. Skinned once by Mane but recovered quickly. Marshalled the line well again

Laporte (8)
Pretty faultless and solid

Rodri (6)
Broke a lot of attacks up but sloppy and slow on the ball

Gundog (4)
Awful passing by his standards. Not really sure what he offered today. Rubbish at number 8, very good at number 6

Kev (5)
Shocker by his standards. Awful pen, wayward passes and looked injured/fatigued. Still better than most even when he's off colour but should have come off for Phil at about 70 mins but signalled to the bench to keep him on. Admiral but wrong decision.

Torres (6)
Bright at times but didn't see much of the ball. Probably right to bring him off. Did nothing wrong

Raheem (5)
Obviously a threat most of the game but made really bad decisions throughout in attacking positions

Gabby (8)
Superb performance and brilliant goal. Missed a sitter though when it really mattered with his 50 pence head. His movement and ball control was utterly brilliant though and what we have been missing

Bernie (7)
Gave us energy and threat down that side although I wish he'd started in the middle instead of Gunda or Rodri
 
wattle said:
I thought we were going to get mullered after 25 mins and was seriously thinking Pep had come to the end of his line but the goal changed everything and it was pretty level after that.

Marks out of ten

Pep (4)
Out thought with the 424 they played early on and we looked shit scared and very, very slow and predictable. Improved the team in the second half but I think that was more due to the change in tempo the goal brought rather than anything different Pep did. We should have gone for it with 20 left as they were there for the taking but again we were ponderous and looked very scared and happy to take a point. Understandable but a bit gutless. Also can't believe he only made one sub. Don't moan about 5 subs and fatigue if you haven't got the balls to make the subs when needed (eg Phil for Kev)

Eddy (5)
Looked a bit shaky at times. Lucky with a few indecisions. Footwork brilliant as usual

Kyle (5)
Worst game for us for a while and stupid challenge again for the pen. His pace got him out of a few bad moments

Cancello (8)
Really good game and looks like our best option at left back by far

Ruben (7)
Solid again. Skinned once by Mane but recovered quickly. Marshalled the line well again

Laporte (8)
Pretty faultless and solid

Rodri (6)
Broke a lot of attacks up but sloppy and slow on the ball

Gundog (4)
Awful passing by his standards. Not really sure what he offered today. Rubbish at number 8, very good at number 6

Kev (5)
Shocker by his standards. Awful pen, wayward passes and looked injured/fatigued. Still better than most even when he's off colour but should have come off for Phil at about 70 mins but signalled to the bench to keep him on. Admiral but wrong decision.

Torres (6)
Bright at times but didn't see much of the ball. Probably right to bring him off. Did nothing wrong

Raheem (5)
Obviously a threat most of the game but made really bad decisions throughout in attacking positions

Gabby (8)
Superb performance and brilliant goal. Missed a sitter though when it really mattered with his 50 pence head. His movement and ball control was utterly brilliant though and what we have been missing

Bernie (7)
Gave us energy and threat down that side although I wish he'd started in the middle instead of Gunda or Rodri
Click to expand...

Think you've spelled your screen name wrong.
 
mccity said:
Maybe so, but how do you replace one of the best attacking midfielders with possibly the best off the ball movement in the past decade? There's literally no player we can sign that'll replicate what he did.
Click to expand...
Tiago was that player. Liverpool bought him.
 
Some of the leaders, i.e. Walker, KDB and Sterling, weren't at their best today and the whole team suffered from it.

Liverpool's pressing was impressive and in combination with the heavy rain it was difficult for us to play our normal technical game. Normally, we evade the press through quick passing but today the circumstances favoured the more physical team of Liverpool.

We are slowly turning things around. We need Jesus to stay fit, Kevin and Raz to regain form, Dias and Laporte to get used to each other, Cancelo and Torres to continue to establish themselves.

Personally, I think this team will be unstoppable in 1-2 months.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Unread Posts

Don't have an account? Register now and see fewer ads!

SIGN UP
Back
Top