So what needs improving on last nights performance?

[TeBe]

We should have had more shots on goal.

According to a poster on here, the BBC website stated we had only 2 shots on goal. And yet we scored 3.

Given that ratio, if we'd had 4 shots on goal, it would have been 6-0!

well does a headed ball in count as a shot on goal? We definitely dominated the middle of the park and we were fortunate that the chances we did create found the back of the net but it's not like we were an attacking juggernaut last night.

No, maybe not, but we were very neat and tidy with the ball, and aggressive in the chase when we didn't.

All in all, a good performance, which should not make us complacent.

We might have been good, but they were certainly not as good as they normally are. Not saying we were flattered but we shouldn't be getting carried away after that one game.

 

[poyntonblue]

IMO I don't think we break quick enough and when we do the attack seems to slow down.
Don't get me wrong last night was a good display and we kept the ball better than i've ever seen us I just felt that regardless of his personal performance there were times when Johnson received the ball he slowed the play down and then started again. I like players who are comfrotable taking the ball to feet however every now and again he (not just him of course) could of run ahead of the play and take a pass on the run and the momentum of play keeps going.

Just my thoughts as I said good performance overall

 

[cibaman]

I thought the best thing about yesterday was that we've clearly not reached anything like our full potential. Yesterday was probably no more than about 60%.

3-0 against Liverpool and without Silva, Balotelli, Boateng & Kolarov.

Even when they had their dominant spell of all of 6 mins we didnt look particularly worried. Last year I'd have been thinking "If they get 1 they'll get 3". But yesterday I felt that even if we had conceded we'd have taken control of the game again. Brought on Silva and Adebayor, changed the formation, got back on top.

We had a few good wins last year, the double against Chelsea, the cup win against Utd, the home wins against Arsenal. But in those games I still felt like we were the underdog, we had to be at our very best, they had to have an off day. Yesterday was the first time that it seemed the other way round, against one of the bigger clubs.

 

[taggarc]

3. It was funny to see Mancini talking to Richards on the sideline when Yaya was down. He was drilling him on running overlaps.

?

What was funnier is that Micah didn't appear to be paying attention or listening at all. I guess if he doen't in the long term, it won't be, "listen up you cock" or whatever Hughes said to him during their bust up, but de-selection and a long spell on the bench and then perhaps out the door.

You would hope he would listen and learn but he certainly didn't give that impression last night!

 

[ifiwasarichfan]

At the risk of appearing ungrateful; I would have liked us to have a few more shots from distance. I cant really think of anything else.

On the subject of Lescott; he has had a bad injury, he is no longer first choice and he was not in his preferred position. Having said that he never once gave in or went missing and I think for those reasons alone he deserves a lot of credit.

Everybody else was excellent.

 

[cibaman]

I didnt think Lescott got the credit he deserved for his part in Hart's double save. He didnt panic, made himself stand tall, reduced the amount of space that Hart had to cover. Great saves by Hart but if Lescott hadnt done his job they'd have scored.

 

[Deleted member 14625]

I don't think we really created that many chances other than the goals; apart from a couple of Johnson shots from 20yds. It wasn't like we were rolling through chance after chance and only converted 3 of many, we created about 3 and got a pengy. We won't get away with that against other teams.

We were pretty good last night. We kept the ball well, we defended very well, we hustled well in midfield. But nothing more! We didn't exactly frighten them to death with fast free flowing attack after attack.

[Im not complaining btw I'm really pleased with the result and the performance, but I think we only got into third gear].


So how do we create more chances?

Well one way is that when the team has got fitter we will cause more damage.
I noticed that from about the 70minute mark that most of our team looked very tired, yes they'd worked hard, but it is very early in the season and we haven't got our 90minute legs yet - Johnno was fucked in the second half, but that was his first 90minutes since May! And I thought Yaya looked a bit fat and he was knackered by 75minutes had nowt left, he needs to get fitter and trim up. He also let Gerrard have it a little bit easy at times in the space he was giving him with and without the ball. He also needs to jump when in a 50:50 heading challenge, he was bigger than everyone yet won no headers from about 10. I'm not criticising him unfairly, I still think he played well, but these are all things that will be pointed out in meetings, video sessions and training this week and ongoing. But all this will come in time when everyone gets fitter with games played. Come November we'll be a great team!

Two, get more support for Tevez. At times he was a little bit isolated and could do with somebody playing a little closer to him so he can link up better. When Tevez dropped deep for the ball, because Milner and AJohnson were playing very wide, there was nobody centrally up front, which was easy for Lpool to defend against.

And three, let them bond as a team. Milner hadn't even trained with the squad yet and still had a good game. How good will he be with them after a few months or come 2015?


But overall a good early season performance from a fairly unfit team who hadn't played many games together!

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

It's a toss-up between a de Jong goal or donkey rides courtesy of GMP Mounted Section.

 

[AustinBlue]

If all the whining Barry / De Jong / Toure / Mancini detractors could have been marched to the center circle for a public flogging after the game, that would have improved things for me.

 

[gianparz]

Both fullbacks don't know when or how to run an overlap or what to do when they have run passed the winger. It was funny to see Mancini talking to Richards on the sideline when Yaya was down. He was drilling him on running overlaps.
So what did I miss? What do you think?

I think Richards did an ok job overlapping but was constantly ignored by Johnson who wasn't even looking at him. He should have waited in few occasions and use Richards movement to pass the defenders but started dribbling with head down instead against 2 defenders. He is a very good talent but he still needs to learn a lot tactically.

As for the rest, i didn't like Yaya Toure attitude. He should have worked a lot more and use his huge body to tackle opponents. Instead was the one who ran less, not aggrassive at all. Even if he was playing attacking midfielder he is not Maradona, he still has to contribute defensively.