Liverpool Post Match Thread

[Steve68]

Agree especially about yaya, gets all the stick yet is the talismanic player who controls matches, transmits a calmness to the team despite intense pressure Liverpool put on city with high pressing game.

I don't think calmness was what was needed. It needed leadership, determination and inspiration. Yaya just isn't half the player he was unfortunately. It wasn't his fault he was played in a position he can't hack but like the other players, he could have put in a shift instead of loping about in the disinterested fashion that's become his trademark this season.

As for Mangala. He did put in a shift. I'll give him that. But sorry, he is an awful defender. And at 24 he is not 'young'. He's reckless, has no positional sense and is beaten way too easily. He is just not good enough. The kind of money we paid for him could have bought us two better defenders already in the league.

 

[wattle]

Maybe he thought they needed resting because of their internationals. There were 2 South American qualifiers in the international break and Delph has had a nightmare with injuries.

I thought that the Derby setup was evidence that Pellegrini had recognised you can't play Toure and our usual attacking open game, but today's starting line up was suicidal against a manager renowned for his pressing game.

Totally disagree about Mangala. When he plays regularly he plays well and has been so at the back end of last season and the start of this season when he was playing week in week out. Now he's lost his place and he comes back and struggles. That is entirely predictable. We have seen it with Dzeko, Jovetic, Bony and more or less every top player who became a fringe player. If you want squad players at their best you must play them regularly. It's difficult

Marvin good post. But the excuse about resting coz of international doesn't wash with me. Weren't ferminho and coutiniho in the same boat. They looked fine to me. Really pissed off with pellegrini today and I'm usually a fan of his. Awful tactics and has shown he's not a top top manager

 

[Marvin]

On the upside I thought Delph looked bright and added a bit of urgency and looks a good buy

Agreed.

Hard to find positives but he had fantastic work rate and yet quality on the ball.

He needs to start the big games now in place of Toure. No one has the passing range of Toure, but he just ambles around and you can't get away with that at this level. Delph's game is a lot higher than most think. Really sad about Toure. What a player he has been, but I can't be too sympathetic because I think he brought this on himself by his attitude last season. He went from being the best midfielder in the Premiership to the weak link in one Summer, and now we have to put had to play shadow midfielders alongside him like American footballers protecting the quarterback.

The performance of Delph tells me he can come in regularly.

The other positives were not getting any more injuries and getting some game time into Kun. I don't what he does in training. I think he must not train very hard because when he come into the team after an absence he looks really sluggish. Good goal, but peripheral and I fear he will be poor now for weeks. That's always been the way before, and then suddenly he'll click

 

[gazzaa2]

I really cannot believe that we are resting players for the Champions league games especially with a quality well-drilled side like Liverpool with Klopp at the helm coming to town.

Does anybody honestly believe we can win the Champions league?OK we may get an easier draw by finishing top but with Arsenal losing, this game was of more realistic importance.

OK then, if he has to rest players, then do so which I don't agree with but don't leave out Otamendi and Fernandinho. That decision alone was absolutely suicidal.

Reminded me of that Wigan game where he turned up in that Rocky top, picked the wrong team and Uwe's Wigan ripped us apart in the first half. That cost us an FA Cup.

Hopefully he's got his horror show out of his system because we've looked a lot more solid with Fernando and Fernandinho in midfield. We need Kompany though at the back and his injuries screw us. We need Silva as well.

 

[Lancet Fluke]

Utterly humiliating. Losing 4-1 flattered us against a team where at a push you might want one, maybe two of their players over ours. In 6 weeks Klopp appears to have gained a greater understanding of his players' strengths and weaknesses than our manager has in 2.5 years.

 

[Marvin]

Marvin good post. But the excuse about resting coz of international doesn't wash with me. Weren't ferminho and coutiniho in the same boat. They looked fine to me. Really pissed off with pellegrini today and I'm usually a fan of his. Awful tactics and has shown he's not a top top manager

No Countinho wasn't in the Brazilian squad. I'm not excusing Pellegrini. I knew we'd get beat as soon as I heard the line-up. But maybe there were strong arguments for not starting Delph and Fernandinho. The fixture list ahead of us is mad.

For me Toure is finished. he doesn't bring enough to games, and takes so much away from our defensive game. The only good I can see is that Pellegrini half recognises this already because he subs him in big games now and also has played defensively with him in the team eg at Utd.

Solving the Toure problem has been an issue for us for 2 seasons. It's not easy because he's impossible to replace, and it is even harder when you are without Silva, Nasri and have Delph and coming back from injury.

 

[the plasterer]

it was bad enough before kick off when seen how the team was set up, then after 10 minutes, every single city fan in that ground could see what was happening and yet MP waited until half time to do anything about it, manager and players need to have a good look at themselves this morning because that was totally unacceptable

 

[tbarber]

Of all the fuckers to get dicked by. Proper scouse wankfest now.

Were sagna and Mangala mentally with it?

Pellegrini needs to go simply for allowing Mangala on the field in a blue shirt, transmits uncertainty, confusion to the rest of the team, defenders around him are at sixes and sevens when usually they are assured, composed. Without doubt the biggest waste of money in the history of footBall. He'd look good being a big aggressive defender playing for OLdham athletic, but someone with two left feet, no ability to drop the shoulder should not be playing at this level. I think pelle rink is hoping against hope that he will come good because he sanctioned the purchase of this big donkey.

 

[wattle]

No Countinho wasn't in the Brazilian squad. I'm not excusing Pellegrini. I knew we'd get beat as soon as I heard the line-up. But maybe there were strong arguments for not starting Delph and Fernandinho. The fixture list ahead of us is mad.

For me Toure is finished. he doesn't bring enough to games, and takes so much away from our defensive game. The only good I can see is that Pellegrini half recognises this already because he subs him in big games now and also has played defensively with him in the team eg at Utd.

Solving the Toure problem has been an issue for us for 2 seasons. It's not easy because he's impossible to replace, and it is even harder when you are without Silva, Nasri and have Delph and coming back from injury.

Imagine a team with toure coming on with half hour to go regularly. Perfect. But it won't happen because yaya's ego won't alow it and pellers hasn't the balls. Delph was excellent yesterday but he's no toure replacement. But who is?

 

[Cellarite]

I was utterly gobsmacked when Otamendi didn't appear after the break. It could have been 5/6-1 at half time.