The transformation is almost complete...

[abc]

Finally, we have a squad full of top class footballers who are excellent ball players and very hardworking.

 

Of all the players Rafa has brought in that are still here, we could say that only Sissoko is the closest to what you'd call a clogger. Even then, he is young and will get better on the ball with more top flight football. Luis Garcia, Alonso, Aurelio and Kuyt are just a few who look the business on the ball, as well as off it. There were a few passages of play yesterday defending our penalty area when a hoof upfield was the easy route, but Aurelio and in particular Agger were excellent in playing short passes and trusting each other's close control to get out of tight situations.

 

Agger's performance yesterday was a joy to watch. He showed intelligence and bravery, passing his way out of trouble when the moment was right, and going to ground to win tackles when it was absolutely necessary. His initiative to carry the ball out of defence was a breath of fresh air. I remember when Sami first came to LFC and looking like an excellent passer of the ball; Agger seems to be a doing this at a higher level.

 

There is definitely some overhyping of Dirk Kuyt, but nobody could have watched him and not be impressed with his all-round play. He did everything; dropped deep, played off the shoulder of the defender, ran with the ball, took shots, attacked crosses, picked out intelligent passes, and showed great vision. Maybe he won't play as consistently well, but if you don't have quality, you couldn't make plays the way he did.

 

Bellamy's non-stop running is so underrated, and having only watched him play 4 matches for LFC so far, I can safely say that he has contributed more to his team's build up play than Cisse did for the 2 seasons he'd been here. The angled runs, drifting out wide while pulling one or two defenders away and using his close control to get defenders thinking twice about challenges. I think it's obvious that Bellamy is doing everything that Rafa wanted from Cisse; the former does it naturally while the latter didn't have the capacity to learn.

 

All the skill in the world is not enough if you don't work hard though, and Rafa has bought the right players. Seeing Bellamy, Kuyt and Gonzalez tracking back and winning balls nearer their own box than the halfway line is encouraging. Aurelio looks like a tough nut, and Pennant works hard to cover for when Finnan is caught forward, or doubled up by opponents.

 

Perhaps the most telling factor of this squad is the integration of the new boys into the team: almost seamless. It's simple really, if every player has a good idea of how football should be played and you understand your role well, you gel with your teammates. With Kuyt, Pennant and Bellamy it seems to come naturally. Under Houllier, the football was at most times mechanical. With this Liverpool team, we know it is more structured from all the comments/stories about Rafa's coaching methods, but at the same time, they play instinctive football. That is the mark of a team with quality individuals who are given the licence to express their football by a coach who believes in both his methods, as well as his players' abilities.

 

Watching the team yesterday fills me with hope and excitement for the seasons to come. I'm sure with more training sessions and competitive matches domestically as well as in Europe, the team will get even better. Mind you, I believe a certain Salif Diao is still at the club.

[mercury]

Very much agree. Despite the nail biting and that we're definitely not 100%, was very happy with our game yesterday. We look so comfortable on the ball all over the pitch and our final third is much more incisive. The new lads all look great. Great season ahead.

[Dave_the_Red]

MOTD last night, Lawro, It's pass and move football again.

 

Well f***ing happyt I am.

[owenthomas]

There is definitely some overhyping of Dirk Kuyt, but nobody could have watched him and not be impressed with his all-round play. He did everything; dropped deep, played off the shoulder of the defender, ran with the ball, took shots, attacked crosses, picked out intelligent passes, and showed great vision. Maybe he won't play as consistently well, but if you don't have quality, you couldn't make plays the way he did.

[abc]

 

Well he did do all that, didn't he?

[Guest TanMan]

Well he did do all that, didn't he?

 

I think what he found funn was that you said he was hyped but then what you described sounded like a player that has every right to be talked up.

[abc]

"There is definitely some overhyping of Dirk Kuyt, but nobody could have watched him and not be impressed with his all-round play."

 

That simply means that I think it's justified!

Edited August 27, 2006 by abc

[owenthomas]

Well he did do all that, didn't he?

he did.. but you said "There is definitely some overhyping of Dirk Kuyt" and then continued to overhype yourself! i wasn't having a go or trying to take the piss lar..

 

i've now noticed the other posts below..

[RedHarvest]

Bellamy's non-stop running is so underrated, and having only watched him play 4 matches for LFC so far, I can safely say that he has contributed more to his team's build up play than Cisse did for the 2 seasons he'd been here. The angled runs, drifting out wide while pulling one or two defenders away and using his close control to get defenders thinking twice about challenges. I think it's obvious that Bellamy is doing everything that Rafa wanted from Cisse; the former does it naturally while the latter didn't have the capacity to learn.

I love players like this, they are the lifeblood of a good team...Baros did it too but with less intelligence and his end product wasnt good enough. We get it every week from Carra and Momo - Bellamy's been very impressive so far.

[abc]

he did.. but you said "There is definitely some overhyping of Dirk Kuyt" and then continued to overhype yourself! i wasn't having a go or trying to take the piss lar..

 

i've now noticed the other posts below..

 

All good, was bored, wanted to bump my thread up!

[abc]

I love players like this, they are the lifeblood of a good team...Baros did it too but with less intelligence and his end product wasnt good enough. We get it every week from Carra and Momo - Bellamy's been very impressive so far.

 

Baros popped into my head when I made the comparison with Cisse. I think Bellamy does what Baros used to do but at a higher level. Without the head down blind alley running.

 

I'd always had the impression that if it was Cisse and not Baros who had 18 months left on his contract, Milan would have stayed on last season ahead of Cisse. Rafa wanted shut of both anyway, but it seemed like he felt Baros was the better footballer. Then again I don't rate Cisse at all; not for what he did at LFC in the 2 seasons anyway. The Man Utd away match in Jan/Feb did it for me. Says it all really, that when asked to compare Bellamy and Cisse, Rafa said the latter "is a very fast player who scores goals by shooting very hard" and then going on to say that Craig is a different sort of a player, who can play out wide, has pace, good movement etc!

[Guest AnfieldGrass]

 

All good, was bored, wanted to bump my thread up!

 

Ok, I'll bite.

 

God positive post abc, can't say there's anything I disagree with. Squad looks awesome now, my only real concerns are:

 

-We need more goals from the strikers, I believe this problem will be overcome by the new boys this season, and crouchie gets a few more than last, but still to be seen.

-RB cover still a bit iffy. (right back that is, not rafa )

-Left side of play has strong quality individuals, but I havent seen a LB/LM combo that really works for me yet. (Apart from HK/JAR which is still my favoured combo when fit - I think Riise & Kewell would have had a field day against the 'ammers)

 

Not tryng to be a negative nelly, just some thoughts, and all in all I am chuffed with the squad and the fact any of them can fit in when asked and do a quality job at that. Was a pleasure to watch at times vs WH. Good times.

[Guest redfromtubebar]

I stopped reading after you said Sissoko is close to a clogger.

 

Utterly clueless you are.

[Guest Anders Honoré]

I stopped reading after you said Sissoko is close to a clogger.

 

Utterly clueless you are.

 

No, he said he is the closest, which is correct from where I sit, if you ignore the rightbacks he has bought and maybe paletta. Momo is alright technically, but he has got some catching up to do to be compared to Viera in that regard. Players like Garcia, Alonso, Gonzalez, Bellamy, Crouch, Morientes, Zenden, Aurelio and Agger are all better on the ball than momo.

[Guest AnfieldGrass]

can't say there's anything I disagree with.

 

I stopped reading after you said Sissoko is close to a clogger.

 

Apart from that.

 

Utterly clueless you are.

 

Harsh. Rather than insulting someone, why don't you ask what was meant by it???

[abc]

Ok, I'll bite.

 

God positive post abc, can't say there's anything I disagree with. Squad looks awesome now, my only real concerns are:

 

-We need more goals from the strikers, I believe this problem will be overcome by the new boys this season, and crouchie gets a few more than last, but still to be seen.

-RB cover still a bit iffy. (right back that is, not rafa )

-Left side of play has strong quality individuals, but I havent seen a LB/LM combo that really works for me yet. (Apart from HK/JAR which is still my favoured combo when fit - I think Riise & Kewell would have had a field day against the 'ammers)

 

Not tryng to be a negative nelly, just some thoughts, and all in all I am chuffed with the squad and the fact any of them can fit in when asked and do a quality job at that. Was a pleasure to watch at times vs WH. Good times.

 

 

I thought Crouchy had a pretty poor game on Sat and also in the Shield (didn't catch Haifa away), but showed excellent instincts to take both goals. Exact opposite of his performances last season. 5 goals in 4 full starts for LFC and England make great reading. Even 3 in 3 starts for LFC looks great, compared to his 0 in 19 last season!

 

I know I'll get flamed for this but I didn't think Kromkamp was as bad as made out last weekend. FFS people were comparing him to Josemi! My first impressions of him last season was that he's a decent footballer who can still improve. I don't think he's done that bad to change my opinion. Yet.

 

I think with Riise out people have realised what a fine defender JAR has matured into. Definitely coaching from Rafa, along with an aptitude to absorb information. I like the look of Fabio Aurelio, he'll feature in alot of home matches against the lower teams IMO. Kewell brings to the team good use of the ball from the left, and I don't think we've seen enough of Gonzalez to make any kind of assessment. But he definitely works hard and is jet-heeled!

[Guest AnfieldGrass]

Crouch played well, but some uncharacteristic slack play on occasion which may have led you to be dissapointed compared to his usual self. But as long as he scores I don't mind. I mean we Give Garcia so much leeway, Crouch deserves some for sure. Just wonder if the arrival of Kuyt has slightly unbalanced him. Up to Crouch now to rise to the challenge, pardon the pun.

Edited August 27, 2006 by AnfieldGrass

[Foo]

Momo's passing can be much improved still in my not so humble opinion. And his goalscoring rate...

[Guest AnfieldGrass]

Momo's passing can be much improved still in my not so humble opinion. And his goalscoring rate...

 

Momo is a defensive mid, I would be happy if he scored at the same rate as Didi. Which was surprising low - but weren't they crackers! I think once he gets one or two he'll get his scoring rate up to 3-5 a season. Long way to go yet, he's young.

[Guest Jack Bauer]

 

Some people just want to criticise Momo, they probably spouted some s**** abuot him earlier in the year and don't like being proved wrong.

[abc]

I stopped reading after you said Sissoko is close to a clogger.

 

Utterly clueless you are.

 

If I hadn't blatantly asserted that Rafa has brought in good footballers during his time BEFORE saying that Sissoko (who has excellent ball control BTW, only let down is his erratic passing) is the CLOSEST to a clogger that we have, you would have had a reason to stop reading.

 

Therefore, I can only deduce that you are either illiterate, or just plain stupid. But then you are actually on this forum, so you can't be the former (not in the true sense of the word anyway). Now, if you actually understood that I am asserting you are the latter, then maybe there is hope for you after all...

[Foo]

Bah he's good at what he is supposed to do, cba saying that every time.

[abc]

No, he said he is the closest, which is correct from where I sit...

 

Which I had failed to mention earlier (thinking it unnecessary), is a fair bit away.

 

I think alot of people are being very unfair on Kromkamp. I think Finnan was ridiculed in his first season for being a bit gash defensively; look where he is right now.

 

Anyway back to Momo; can't believe he used to be a striker! Then again, I guess we could say the same of Carra...

[Guest AnfieldGrass]

Momo + Robocop = MomoKop

[Ronnie Whelan]

Ok, I'll bite.

 

God positive post abc, can't say there's anything I disagree with. Squad looks awesome now, my only real concerns are:

 

-We need more goals from the strikers, I believe this problem will be overcome by the new boys this season, and crouchie gets a few more than last, but still to be seen.

 

 

We have played 5 competitive matches so far this season, scoring 8 goals, 5 of which have come from strikers.