Stoned Rose said:
Much has been made of Liverpool being the best team we've faced in the league this year and them being 'unlucky' to lose.
I've re-watched the game twice now and we were much the better side.
We controlled the vast majority of the game and even before they took the 0-1 lead we'd hit the post (Navas) and missed 2 really good chances (Negredo). The first 15 minutes Liverpool hardly got out of their own half. We were excellent in general play and excellent on the break. We also dominated them from our corners. Skrtel in particular was shitting his pants everytime Vinny came near him. Our 2nd goal cut through them like a knife through hot butter.
The reality was they looked dangerous on 3 or 4 'counters', scored from one, were given a wrong offside from another and missed the other two (the Henderson 'back heel' and the Sterling 'sitter from 2 yards'). Other than that, they had dick all.
Their opportunities were down to us leaving that 'gap' we like to leave between Yaya and Fern and the centre backs. Coutinho was in there a lot as was Sterling. Suarez also came deep a lot and tried to 'spin' Vinny. Those 3 were popping up in there and this was where their threat was located. We coped very well with everything else they did.
If we deal with this 'gap' and this tactic we'll deal with them. I think our 'line' is now much better than it was then but will need to be watertight for this game. We cant have them playing on the shoulders of our back 4.
They were without Sturridge and Gerrard. We were without Aguero and we also played Lescott who if we're being honest is 4th choice when everyone is fit.
They really weren't that good and there is no reason to fear them.
Only just seen this post but it's bang on the money. I haven't watched the Liverpool game since the day but that's exactly how I remember it. And yesterday's was a bit the same: Southampton played in the gap you referred to. I am going to call it the 'yaya hole', because he becomes part of the problem when teams play there and press there. We might well see ferna and Garcia behind yaya for that reason. The flip side, though, is that we can cope with teams playing in front of us, like we did then and yesterday. What we don't want is their forwards playing off the shoulder of MDM or kolorov. Surely the manager won't play kolorov but he has to play MDM.
