Sami Hyypia

[Paul_LFC]

He gets people writing him off completely sometime every season, saying he's past it, saying get someone new in, and then after all that he has an outstanding season. Sami is a class act and i'm confident he'll have another classy season. He is one of our greatest servants and I think he deserves more respect, not people wanting him out straight away.

 

You gotta love Sami.

[Gunga Din]

i honestly reckon this is his last season, he is having poor games on a more frequent basis now, and i think over the course of the season Agger and Carra will establish themselves as the first choice centre back pairing

[Alonso]

He gets people writing him off completely sometime every season, saying he's past it, saying get someone new in, and then after all that he has an outstanding season. Sami is a class act and i'm confident he'll have another classy season. He is one of our greatest servants and I think he deserves more respect, not people wanting him out straight away.

 

You gotta love Sami.

It'll be interesting to see how Rafa uses him this season. When he bought in Pellegrino Sami was in and out of the side quite regularly, be this cos of rotation or for a rest. Now we have Agger, who looks to be very accomplished and a far better option than Pellegrino, I wonder how many appearances Sami will make and if he'll be rotated with Agger quite often?

[Falconhoof]

I agree with Wayne.

 

Rafa is trying to get the team to defend a higher line now. Sami is exposed more and more if there's a space behind him for the opposition to attack.

 

It wasn't so much of a problem when we defended deeper and had Hamman operating very disciplined in front of the defence.

 

Agger had done nothing wrong to be dropped on Saturday and he's got to play with Carra from now on. Carra had a bad game at the weekend but you've got to be confident in him to find his form fairly quickly.

[Alonso]

I agree with Wayne.

 

Rafa is trying to get the team to defend a higher line now. Sami is exposed more and more if there's a space behind him for the opposition to attack.

It wasn't so much of a problem when we defended deeper and had Hamman operating very disciplined in front of the defence.

 

Agger had done nothing wrong to be dropped on Saturday and he's got to play with Carra from now on. Carra had a bad game at the weekend but you've got to be confident in him to find his form fairly quickly.

Goes along with what he said last week about Reina being more busy this season.

[Guest RedLegend]

He gets people writing him off completely sometime every season, saying he's past it, saying get someone new in, and then after all that he has an outstanding season. Sami is a class act and i'm confident he'll have another classy season. He is one of our greatest servants and I think he deserves more respect, not people wanting him out straight away.

 

You gotta love Sami.

 

Read about 3 or 4 different match reports of the derby today and nearly every one of them said Sami was as good as finished. Sad to see.

 

A truly great servant and I still think he'll play his part this season but I think this will be his last at the club.

[Guz]

At some point all our fears about Sami will come true, most likely sometime in the next 2 years. But at the moment he's starting a new season off the back of one of his best. Agger may have looked promising but rest assured Sami has a hell of a LOT to offer the team still

[Guest Portly]

There is nothing wrong with Sami Hyypia who remains the engine-room of all Liverpool performances. However good Agger turns out to be, he will be doing well if his contribution is anywhere near what Hyypia's is at the moment.

 

Aurelio has received unstinted praise on the forum for every performance, but nobody seems to have noticed that he is often missing from the left back position where his job is supposed to be to stop opposition attacks down the right flank. Riise is often criticised for getting out of position, but he is a defensive rock compared to Aurelio.

 

Hyypia's main problem in recent matches has been to try and plug this gap in the left back area, resulting in him getting drawn out of position and ending up looking like a t***.

[alias75]

just think if Rafa wants a more attack minded team with 2 out and out wingers thats going to leave us more open at the back and thats where Sami's lack of pace gets exposed badly.

 

Agger has that little bit of pace and agility to cope in those situations i think before the end of the season it will be Carra and Agger that are first choice although im sure Sami will play his fair share of games this year.

[Koogan]

Agger has made Carra look old too.

 

And Pepe looks the oldest of them all

 

Read about 3 or 4 different match reports of the derby today and nearly every one of them said Sami was as good as finished. Sad to see.

 

That's only obvious. Carra was there beside him and involved as much as any other defender. And he's never to blame for anything, that's blasphemy. And it has always been like that.

[fred milne]

There is nothing wrong with Sami Hyypia who remains the engine-room of all Liverpool performances. However good Agger turns out to be, he will be doing well if his contribution is anywhere near what Hyypia's is at the moment.

 

Aurelio has received unstinted praise on the forum for every performance, but nobody seems to have noticed that he is often missing from the left back position where his job is supposed to be to stop opposition attacks down the right flank. Riise is often criticised for getting out of position, but he is a defensive rock compared to Aurelio.

 

Hyypia's main problem in recent matches has been to try and plug this gap in the left back area, resulting in him getting drawn out of position and ending up looking like a t***.

I'm not sure Sami is any kind of engine-room ( ) but I do think you may have a point about his discomfort covering Aurelio.

 

In the treble season and 2001-2 season, Sami had the ultra-reliable Carra at LB and could concentrate on his own job safe in the knowledge that few opposition RMs would get past Carra.

 

The following season Riise was moved to LB and I'm sure this was a factor in Sami's form nose-diving, as he was tasked with covering for Riise's (many) defensive mishaps.

 

Over the last 18 months or so Riise's defending has improved and Sami got back to something like his best form last season.

[Falconhoof]

Hyypia's main problem in recent matches has been to try and plug this gap in the left back area, resulting in him getting drawn out of position and ending up looking like a t***.

 

 

Boccoli's goal for Haifa at Anfield ?

Hyppia tried to come out and make a tackle 40 yards from goal. He got nowhere near the man who slipped Boccoli in.

 

Shevchenko in the charity shield had nothing to do with Aurelio either, it was another ball straight down the middle of our defence.

 

Hulse's goal for Sheffield United ? A free kick from the right that results in a header from 6 yards out in front of goal. How is that not Sami's territory ?

 

Zamora's goal at Anfield ? A cross that beat Reina at his near post. Nothing to do with Hyppia covering Aurelio.

 

Everton's goals ? You won't find a shred of evidence that Hyppia was covering Aurelio.

[Leo No.8]

 

Hulse's goal for Sheffield United ? A free kick from the right that results in a header from 6 yards out in front of goal. How is that not Sami's territory ?

 

Seeing as Aurelio was supposed to be marking Hulse I think we can chalk that one down to him at the very least.

 

Basically, Hyypia has been no more to blame for the goals we've let in than anyone else but it's just the easy option for people to decide its his fault because he's older than the others and not quick.

 

As for Aurelio, he's a more talented footballer than Riise but needs the same work on his defending Rafa did for JAR.

 

His positioning and decision-making have been poor so far, but its clear to see he's a talented footballer. Injuries to our other left-backs have meant he's had to play most of the games at left-back, wheras an ideal world I think Rafas would probably have used him more on the left side of midfield to get used to the pace and physical nature of the game.

 

I'm still confident Aurelio will turn out well, but I feel his introduction has unsettled our defence a little.

[Falconhoof]

Seeing as Aurelio was supposed to be marking Hulse I think we can chalk that one down to him at the very least.

 

 

Was he though ? When did we switch to man marking at free kicks ? not saying you are wrong, just trying to get my head around who's responsibility it is. Sami gets pulled away from the 6 yard box by the player he seems to be marking and the ball drops nowhere near him. If he stays put and watches the ball its an easy clearance for him. Aurelio just stands and watches as Hulse runs in. its appalling all round.

 

Not worth keeping on disecting that one goal in fairness, I just can't see any sort of pattern where the defense is under pressure from the left hand side. Its in the centre that we've had problems either not dealing with crosses or simple balls through the middle.

[Ian Garro]

This is what gets on my nerves with Hyypia though - it's always someone elses fault.

 

Henchoz is slowing down, Biscan and now Aurelio, or last season against Chelsea it wasnt his fault he had a 'mare as he was 'ill'. It's as though no-one on here can question him because he's been here that long, and has, in his time here, been superb.

 

But he was poor on Saturday, he was poor against the Israelis at Anfield and he seems to be slower by the game.

Edited September 12, 2006 by Ian Garro

[Falconhoof]

sacred cow

[fred milne]

This is what gets on my nerves with Hyypia though - it's always someone elses fault.

 

Henchoz is slowing down, Biscan and now Aurelio, or last season against Chelsea it wasnt his fault he had a 'mare as he was 'ill'. It's as though no-one on here can question him because he's been here that long, and has, in his time here, been superb.

 

But he was poor on Saturday, he was poor against the Israelis at Anfield and he seems to be slower by the game.

I agree he shouldn't be beyond criticism (Carra too for that matter), but at the same time if he has a few poor games it shouldn't automatically be assumed that this means he is past it.

 

Its worth remembering that last season his form was as good as it has been at any time since the treble season.

[Maldini]

Hulse's goal for Sheffield United ? A free kick from the right that results in a header from 6 yards out in front of goal. How is that not Sami's territory ?

 

The ball went into Aurelio's area and he went to sleep, it was absolutlely nothing to do with Hyypia and you undermined the credibility of your other points by claiming it was.

[Ian Garro]

The ball went into Aurelio's area and he went to sleep, it was absolutlely nothing to do with Hyypia

That is true, but I can understand what he was getting at, the whole thing was a balls up as there was no way someone of Aurelios size and aerial ability should have been marking Hulse anyway.

[Dule]

If we lose the title this year because of our defense, Sami will be one of the first to go next year, i can assure you of that.

[Koogan]

If we lose the title this year because of our defense, Sami will be one of the first to go next year, i can assure you of that.

 

That's not much of a prediction is it? He will be the first to go even if we win it!

[Falconhoof]

The ball went into Aurelio's area and he went to sleep, it was absolutlely nothing to do with Hyypia and you undermined the credibility of your other points by claiming it was.

 

 

 

I'm not claiming anything , i'm discussing and questioning and i'm not too proud to admit I don't know or don't understand certain things. That goal is far from clear cut. Why is Hyppia running away from the 6 yard box and the flight of the ball ? Thats where you want your 6 foot 4 centre half.

[Leo No.8]

This is what gets on my nerves with Hyypia though - it's always someone elses fault.

 

Henchoz is slowing down, Biscan and now Aurelio, or last season against Chelsea it wasnt his fault he had a 'mare as he was 'ill'. It's as though no-one on here can question him because he's been here that long, and has, in his time here, been superb.

 

But he was poor on Saturday, he was poor against the Israelis at Anfield and he seems to be slower by the game.

 

Is that a p1ss take? Every time anything goes even vaguely wrong at the back Hyypia comes in for all the criticism. People have been wrongly writing Hyypia off for about 3 years now, so for you to make out he's beyond criticism is absolutely farcical.

 

Under Houllier it was his lack of pace which was holding us back because 'we couldn't hold a high line', and all the footballing savantes were calling for him to be replaced by those defensive stalwarts Boumsong or Mexes.

 

We then moved to a higher line under Benitez, at which point at least some of the braindead masses walking out with their arms thrust out in front and eyes rolled up into their heads moaning 'pace, pace, pace' endlessly, awakened from their zombie-like states to find if you are holding a high line you aim to push the opposition up and catch them offside and that actually doesn't require pace.

 

So many people seem to be under the misguided impression that holding a high line requires pace. If you hold a high line and get it wrong, even Justin Gatlin after 3 pints of testosterone isn't going to be able to change his momentum, turn and catch a player with even half a yard before he takes his shot on goal.

 

Arsenal held that defensive line brilliantly for years with Dixon, Winterburn, Adams and Bould or Keown. Crater face was quicker than you'd think, but in general that really was one slow set of defenders. The point is holding a high line requires two major factors; discipline and organisation, not pace which is more of a bonus than anything.

 

to be honest I'm just about sick to the back teeth of people talking complete s*** about defending like they know it all. Next time someone goes on about needing pace to hold a high line my f*cking head will explode.

Edited September 12, 2006 by Leo No.8

[Walrus]

That is true, but I can understand what he was getting at, the whole thing was a balls up as there was no way someone of Aurelios size and aerial ability should have been marking Hulse anyway.

So, it's partly Sami's fault that Aurelio 'shouldn't have been marking Hulse anyway'? Not to mention that no-one was marking anyone, they all have their zones to take care of. In this incident the goal was scored most likely from Aurelio's area.

 

I'm a big fan of both Sami and Carra and believe that they will still be the so-called first choice cb pairing this season. But I can also see Agger and even Paletta, if he adapts well and learns the language, get games this season. Agger obviously more so.

 

And for someone to call Hyypiä the sacred cow is bordering on absurd. He gets it from LFC fans on these boards every time we lose a match. The real 'sacred cow', if one exists, is definitely Carra who can do no wrong in some people's eyes. Funny that he seems to be often overrated by Liverpool fans but to this day remains a little undervalued in the eyes of the non-Liverpool fans.

[Ian Garro]

some of the braindead masses

Nice. It's a forum for expressing your opinion. Most people do it without insulting others.

 

Get over yourself, assuming your head doesnt explode in the meantime.

 

So, it's partly Sami's fault that Aurelio 'shouldn't have been marking Hulse anyway'? Not to mention that no-one was marking anyone, they all have their zones to take care of. In this incident the goal was scored most likely from Aurelio's area.

See, did I say it was Big Samis fault ? No, I said it was a balls up, thats all.