épieur

"35 years of experience. I will prevail!"

There's gonna be a new thread for this every day, isn't there? Starting to get tired of the Rafa cult now.

Very fitting that you found a picture with Carlos Alberto in the lineup. Seeing as Roy managed to compare Carragher's forays into the opposition's half against Everton to the great man himself.

In fairness, the carnage videos from his time at Auxerre showed one feature of Cisse that was simply absent in a Liverpool shirt: That when a half-chance came his way, he would usually bury it. Perhaps if he had shown more of that in a red shirt, the disparity between youtube and what he showed for us wouldn't have been as staggering.

At the risc of sounding rather anally retentive, what I questioned was the statement 'Previously, Lucas was deadly with the driven pass up the middle, with a technique that only Gerrard could match'. I argued we've only ever seen sparse evidence of this as I can recall no time in his Liverpool career when he has been so with any kind of regularity. A few youtube clips may illustrate what kind of pass we're talking about, but it proves little either way in this case. Neither would a montage of every touch in the game, unless we have something like a dozen games montaged to make the point (or a killer montage of such passes from a concerted period of time). I am not dismissing youtube clips as altogether irrelevant. I am dismissing their weight as casually strewn evidence of a players quality over a longer period of time. Stats would weigh heavier for me in such a case.

Not really. But youtube clips, although illustrative, are not as tangible evidence as they are often made to appear. Stats can be informative (I think I prefer them to youtube clips actually) but in either case, they have to be measured against the tangible weight that our subjective experience accumulated over a long period of time does have. People draw very different conclusions from what they see obviously and some understand footy better than others, but the notion that stats and clips form some kind of objective measurement by which we can weigh our subjective experience against doesn't really hold up in my view. It's the other way around. If a poster can demonstrate to me that he understands football by way of sound arguments, I am more inclined to listen to his opinion of a given player than I would be from someone who bombarded me with youtube clips to make his point. meh.

It baffles me. Lucas is by no means an adventurous passer, but one thing he does have going for him over the past year is that he generally picks out forward passes to feet with very high consistency. He's not flashy, but that kind of passing is very encouraging from a holding midfielder. .... what?

Made me laugh that.

Actually those are kind of useful. I liked the one of Lucas from the Chelsea game. Hell, there's even a pass early on of the ones being mentioned here. But those aren't the kind of clips that was linked in this case. And I dare say, one or two videos of this kind isproof of nothing either for discussions like this. They might help to illustrate what we're actually talking about but really it is more expedient to simply go on our memories of having watched these players regularly over many years when it comes to these kind of appraisals. I've watched him regularly enough to know that passes like that are very very rare from Lucas. It would take a tremendous amount of youtube clips, probably more than I have patience to watch (or a killer compilation) to change my mind on this. A well constructed argument I think is more likely to sway my perception in this matter. Again, I am not saying he can't do it or that it isn't a great thing when it happens. I am saying he needs to show it a lot more before we can begin claiming this is one of his fortés that we can reliably build on in the team. Making a great pass once in a blue moon does not a 'deadly passer' make.

I don't think there was much wrong with Rafa's attacking instincts. Unlike Houllier's team, under Rafa we generally held a high line and dominated possession against lesser teams and knew when to sit back and attack in proper measure against the really strong teams, His main problem was his ability to convert dominance of possession into chances and goals against teams that parked the bus. Too static far too often, especially away from home.

I must admit, I expected a 'I saw him do this plenty at Gremio' argument or something. A few youtube clips is proof of nothing. There are well more youtube clips of Alonso producing as good and better passes of this kind than of Lucas. That's because he did so. I'm a great believer in the lad and I do believe there's a very talented player in there waiting to emerge but passes like that have been very sparse in his Liverpool career so far. Certainly nothing to suggest that 'he is matched only by Gerrard' who has delivered killer passes season after season with alarming regularity. I am not saying he is incapable of it. But he needs to start doing it a lot more consistently to earn that kind of appraisal.

Move on, people. He won't and should not come back any time soon.

I will concede we have seen some evidence that he is capable of this. But Lucas' general refusal to play ambitious passes has been a trademark of his Liverpool career. We've hardly seen enough of it to characterise his passing as 'deadly' in any shape or fashion.

I now make a point of visualising him smoking a bong and downing some vodka before press conferences before I read his statements. This allows me to make perfect sense of it all and even have a good chuckle at our senile stoned out manager.

Huh? When was this?

Agreed. Only fools go gong-hu when 2-0 up against Chelsea. Amazing comment really. Sitting back to protect a lead like that has been a trademark feature of our last two managers. All of the sudden, Hodgson is getting stick for it.

Solbakken's FC Copenhagen is currently being hailed in the Danish press as the best club side the country has ever seen.

There's really nothing wrong with what he says here at all. It's unpalatable purely because it's Poulsen he is providing encouragement for.

Speaking of the king, I just realised today that Dalglish has not only won more medals than Roy has away wins in the prem, he has won as many league titles as roy has won away games in the prem, if you count both as manager and player. With 39 medals altogether, it will be a few seasons before Ray has won more away games in the prem than Kenny has medals, tbf.

Rimbeux - Fair & Balanced™

Forgot they even existed. It's criminal that city have a 17.5m and a 20m striker as 4th and 5th choice and they are not even special. A cancer on football.

3 points is still 3 points. Flat track bullies can win league titles.

I like this. Please preface all praise or reluctance to critisise the manager with your stance on whether Hodgson should be sacked or not. Opinion on this will be critical to how your post is otherwise perceived.

In fairness, were we not playing catchup just to get back in the top 4, he is of the quality that should be 3rd choice. Great 3rd choice to have, but squaddie nevertheless.

I've forgotten about him. In a world where it somehow worked out that he was 3rd choice for years and still developed, I wish we never sold him. Hell, I now wish we never sold Riise.