Finnan and Garcia

[deacon]

Games like tonight highlight how important he is. His overlaps give Gerrard more space on the right, and generally help support our attacks, which Arbeloa didn't do as well tonight. Gerrard was often isolated when he was actually on the right, which would have occured less had Finnan played. We also missed his crossing and his confidence on the ball.

 

The second half today reminded me of the second half of the game we lost 4-1 last season against Chelsea. We wouldn't have scored if we played them all day back then and it looked the same tonight. Against a side so well drilled, you need the players who can conjure up a bit of magic and score in the tight games. I was thinking how much we could with Garcia at Anfield.

[jon_hall]

Clueless. How many time did Arbeloa go down the line eh? Time after time with no one for him to pass to down the line, was he supposed to overlap himself?

[Knox_Harrington]

Finnan = checks back onto left foot and puts very good cross in. That didn't happen, we didn't look as good.

[Maldini]

I agree we miss Finnan, but more in the sense that it meant Zenden had to play than anything else

[Knox_Harrington]

I agree we miss Finnan, but more in the sense that it meant Zenden had to play than anything else

Nah. Letting Finnan overlap nothing is more effective than letting Arbeloa overlap nothing. Finnan can and has run a right side on his own on many occasions.

[slapnuts]

would have rather seen Kewell taking Zendens place more than out,

[Guz]

Another game in the ever growing list of aways to the other top 4 teams where we've been out classed and bottled it.

[Maldini]

Name them

[San Diego Red]

Finn should have been at RB with Arbeloa at LB and Riise at LM. I feel bad for Zenden because he has (had) the quality, but nothing is showing.

[Will]

I actually though Alvaro went forward too often tonight, if anything

[psl]

Finn should have been at RB with Arbeloa at LB and Riise at LM. I feel bad for Zenden because he has (had) the quality, but nothing is showing.

 

Why didn't Rafa think of that? Its genius!

[Raj]

I actually though Alvaro went forward too often tonight, if anything

 

Agreed. He definitely pushed forward too much and was caught out of position a few times. I think that is a little bit of inexperience, to be honest.

[Alonso]

Agreed. He definitely pushed forward too much and was caught out of position a few times. I think that is a little bit of inexperience, to be honest.

He didn't have as much cover from Gerrard tho as from Pennant which was aprt of the problem.

[Guz]

Name them

 

Maybe outclassed and bottling is unfair. But going away (home aswell sometimes) to United, Chelsea or Arsenal and looking clueless as to how to put the ball in the back of the net is hardly a new thing for us.

 

Result wasn't that bad, we're still in teh tie and that was the most realistic outcome from last night I think, a repeat of the Nou camp result would've been off the scale but very unlikely also. That said, we looked visibly shaky at the back which was strange, affected by Chelsea's midfield pressure and didnt have uch of an idea in the final third. It was a bit gutless and hugely dissapointing after all the hype of how we are a better team than 2 years ago (which is true but failed to show it).

 

He didn't have as much cover from Gerrard tho as from Pennant which was aprt of the problem.

 

Nor does Finnan but he copes because the man is so damn good. He knows exactly when to go and when to stay back. It's a difficult thing to judge if you've not had much experience doing it or playing with someone who is allowed to roam as Gerrard is. There was a similar problem when Gerrard played out wide with Kromkamp behind him (not that many times to be fair), they didn't look a good partnership at all. Finnan was definitley a big loss last night.