Liverpool V City post match discussion.

[supercrystal7]

I am sorry but i don't buy this we are 3/4/5 players world class players away.

Every fucking team bar Madrid and Barca are if you judge their teams on paper and look at certain games.

I think our squad is ok as is. Yes we need some reinforcements but only because we have lost a few players so require squad players.
You can't expect to keep buying world class players and not having anyone who will accept a squad role.

We were very bad today and missing 3 key players and Liverpool played at their very maximum with everyone bar Agger and we still managed a draw.

Heaven forbid this forum if we had lost.

If you want to compare your squad with Madrid and Barca then they have double the amount of world class players you have.
Casilllas, Pepe, Contrao, Alonso, Ozil, Ronaldo, Benzema, Modric, Higuan. You can even make an argument for Ramos at right back and Marcelo at left back.
Barca on the other hand have near the same number. Alves, Pique, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Villa and Fabregas. This is ignoring the likes of Pedro and Sanchez.
Or look at Bayern they have Neuer, Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Ribery, Robben and Gomez.

To catch up with the first two is very difficult. Not saying you cannot beat them, but they have better squads and teams.

I would say you still only need 3 players. A very good promising young winger, a world class midfielder and a better partner for Kompany. Those three signings and then allowing De Jong to go would make a world of difference on the season.

 

[Bobbies Black Bins]

I am sorry but i don't buy this we are 3/4/5 players world class players away.

Every fucking team bar Madrid and Barca are if you judge their teams on paper and look at certain games.

I think our squad is ok as is. Yes we need some reinforcements but only because we have lost a few players so require squad players.
You can't expect to keep buying world class players and not having anyone who will accept a squad role.

We were very bad today and missing 3 key players and Liverpool played at their very maximum with everyone bar Agger and we still managed a draw.

Heaven forbid this forum if we had lost.

If you want to compare your squad with Madrid and Barca then they have double the amount of world class players you have.
Casilllas, Pepe, Contrao, Alonso, Ozil, Ronaldo, Benzema, Modric, Higuan. You can even make an argument for Ramos at right back and Marcelo at left back.
Barca on the other hand have near the same number. Alves, Pique, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Villa and Fabregas. This is ignoring the likes of Pedro and Sanchez.
Or look at Bayern they have Neuer, Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Ribery, Robben and Gomez.

To catch up with the first two is very difficult. Not saying you cannot beat them, but they have better squads and teams.

I would say you still only need 3 players. A very good promising young winger, a world class midfielder and a better partner for Kompany. Those three signings and then allowing De Jong to go would make a world of difference on the season.

Utter crap..you include modric who isn't even a Madrid player yet let alone proven in La liga and all them world class players didnt stop them getting beat after winning at half time yesterday.

Hart, Kompany, Yaya, Silva, Tevez and Aguero is the spine of our team and is good enough for any team in europe.

 

[Labatt Blue]

Anyone really expect to go into Anfield and batter them? Drew them last year and it all worked out in the end

Reality mate, I'm amazed at some of the posts on here, two games in and we've already got 'Mancini out' posts

Too true, Rogers is describing his teams fantastic performance at home first game of the season...we played poorly and still came away with a draw. If they dont get that free kick i'm sure we would have won..thats togger for you!

 

[MC ID]

Between this and southampton we have had quite poor performances, my fear is that someone is going to get a result against us who we should really be beating.

That and we could do with a couple more players, ideally a new CB as Kolo and Savic as 3rd and 4th choices won't be good if a long term injury occurs, along with Sinclair as a 'fast' option off the bench.

Saying all this, one positive I do take is that Rodwell has impressed me so far (baring one bad pass but everyones been guilty of that). I think if he continues to improve we'll see him a lot more as the season progresses.

 

[supercrystal7]

I am sorry but i don't buy this we are 3/4/5 players world class players away.

Every fucking team bar Madrid and Barca are if you judge their teams on paper and look at certain games.

I think our squad is ok as is. Yes we need some reinforcements but only because we have lost a few players so require squad players.
You can't expect to keep buying world class players and not having anyone who will accept a squad role.

We were very bad today and missing 3 key players and Liverpool played at their very maximum with everyone bar Agger and we still managed a draw.

Heaven forbid this forum if we had lost.

If you want to compare your squad with Madrid and Barca then they have double the amount of world class players you have.
Casilllas, Pepe, Contrao, Alonso, Ozil, Ronaldo, Benzema, Modric, Higuan. You can even make an argument for Ramos at right back and Marcelo at left back.
Barca on the other hand have near the same number. Alves, Pique, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Villa and Fabregas. This is ignoring the likes of Pedro and Sanchez.
Or look at Bayern they have Neuer, Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Ribery, Robben and Gomez.

To catch up with the first two is very difficult. Not saying you cannot beat them, but they have better squads and teams.

I would say you still only need 3 players. A very good promising young winger, a world class midfielder and a better partner for Kompany. Those three signings and then allowing De Jong to go would make a world of difference on the season.

Utter crap..you include modric who isn't even a Madrid player yet let alone proven in La liga and all them world class players didnt stop them getting beat after winning at half time yesterday.

Hart, Kompany, Yaya, Silva, Tevez and Aguero is the spine of our team and is good enough for any team in europe.

The Modric deal was apparently completed tonight. So no problem including him. What has Modric not being proven in La Liga got to do with him being world class or not? Would you argue that if City bought Schweinsteiger he is not world class, because he is not proven in the premiership.

Madrid have had a poor start, but it does not change the quality of players and the depth in their team. You did not even argue that one of those players was not world class.

In my opinion City have the 4th best first team in Europe. However, your squad is quite a few places below that. I agree that Kompany, Toure, Silva, Tevez and Arguero are world class and would make virtually any team. Hart is a very good keeper, but for me he is not world class yet. Would say he is a borderline. Can see the argument both ways for players like Hart, Mata and Nani.

 

[n_mcfc]

I understand why Zabaleta is a fan favourite and he has a great winning attitude. He is very versatile and can play a number of positions. He always gives it all and will run through a brick wall for the team, but he is not good enough to be starting in your first team.

Stopped reading after this bit.

I'm not being a knob or arrogant or anything like that. However, Zabaleta is absolutely good enough to be in our first team. In fact, in any in the league. The lad is unreal. He may have had a bad day today, but so did everyone on our team.

The fact that you consider him 'not good enough for our team' really makes your opinion redundant to me after we won the league with him in the team last year. I might come across as a bit of a knob so I apologise in that respect but Pab Zab is definitely good enough for us.

 

[supercrystal7]

I understand why Zabaleta is a fan favourite and he has a great winning attitude. He is very versatile and can play a number of positions. He always gives it all and will run through a brick wall for the team, but he is not good enough to be starting in your first team.

Stopped reading after this bit.

I'm not being a knob or arrogant or anything like that. However, Zabaleta is absolutely good enough to be in our first team. In fact, in any in the league. The lad is unreal. He may have had a bad day today, but so did everyone on our team.

The fact that you consider him 'not good enough for our team' really makes your opinion redundant to me after we won the league with him in the team last year. I might come across as a bit of a knob so I apologise in that respect but Pab Zab is definitely good enough for us.

As I said before a guy like Zabaleta always going to be loved by fans and worth having around in the squad for his attitude alone. A good utility player to have and can come in and do a job anywhere. He is good second choice right back and the kind of player you need in the squad.

It depends on what you mean by good enough. A top class team can afford certain players, who are not really at that level, especially if they have a great attitude. United won league titles with Oshea etc. Chelsea won titles and CL with Boswinga. An extreme example is how Brazil won the world cup with Roque Junior. A more apt example is Spain/Madrid winning the Euros with Arbeloa. During your purple patch it was Richards playing at right back most games. I suspect Richards being dropped at the end of the last season had a lot to do with an interview he gave. Just looking across full backs in the country Clichy, Richards, Johnson, Cole, Ivanovic, Baines, Evra, Sagna in most opinions are better than him. Then there are young players like Walker, Santon, Jones and Rafael, who may make a lot of mistakes, but have a lot more potential and worth bleeding in the long run.

 

[citymad]

Only watched the game on tv but anyone else felt that there was a lack of team togetherness? The goal celebrations felt more subdued or did the camera cut some of it out to do a replay. I'm used to seeing them piling on top of on another.

 

[Dax777]

Alright, some thoughts:

1. The problem is not 352, it is simply poor perfomance. We played with 4 back in the opening game and gave up 2 goals from open play. So clearly, it wasn't the formation. Here we gave up 2 plays from dead ball situations. Formation cannot protect against that.

So all the anti-352 folks seriously need to take a chill pill and stop spouting garbage about goal conceeding, and its connection to 352. I am not saying it is better (even though I think it is) but it is certainly not worse because we conceeded from a corner and a freekick. It is silly to suggest such.

That said we are conceding too many chances. And this is mostly a function of being unable to keep possession well and not our formation. Either drop down to just one striker, supported by Yaya, and let SIlva and Nasri run the show ahead of Jack. That will improve our possession.

Can't wait till Micah gets back, so we can run a proper 352 with him and Clichy bombing down the wings. It will be glorious, I promise you. Just get a proper Ball controlling CD to Join Komps and Lescott in the back, and we'll be set.

As for today's game. A poor performance against a determined team. Lucky to earn a point. Time to move on.

Pool will be formidable once Asaidi and Sahin are blended in. Allen and Sahin running the show deep for them will be special. Gerrard behind Suarez, with Sterling and Assaidi on the wings.

Assaidi will be a revelation for Pool. I am so sad they let King Kenny go. He was bent n Building an all English squad. ANd that would have kept Pool in the dark ages for a decade. Luckily for them, they got Rodgers. He will eventually make them formidable again. Happy we got our point out of the way before they gel.

 

[andrewmswift]

agree with this. liverpool will surprise people this year.