we need to get back to basics

[Gunga Din]

because whatever the hell is being tried at the minute it isnt working. its not just this game, its every game since we beat Derby at home.the only reason i think we playedwellin the opening few games of the season is because other teams weren't settled either.

 

since we have beaten Derby, we have lacked the basics. movement, the ability to pass the ball, and we have run out of ideas. we need to get back to a settled 11 and pass and move. to see a team that has been asembled at that cost, and with the talent that clearly lies within that squad, the way they are playing is a disgrace.

 

we are playing like strangers in practically every game, and thats because in a lot of cases they are strangers. far far too much chopping and bloody changing, and or entire season is on the verge of being over before Christmas again. we are already as good as out of the European Cup in what is, and lets be honest, a piss easy group. and i'd go as far as saying, even at this stage of the season, a loss on sunday and we can say goodbye to the league, and we can all go through the motions of finishing in the top 4, and hope we get a cup run, because other than that, we'll win f*** all.

 

i'm f***ing pissed off

Edited October 24, 2007 by big wayne

[Crazy Horse]

Time to get Martin O'Neill in.

[JonShar]

I'm right there with you mate.

 

Nobody looks like they want the ball. One free kick in the second half Riise was wide open but kept pointing for Carra to knock it to Sami. He's not the only one either, we look devoid of confidence...and if they wait to get it back, we won't.

[Gunga Din]

Time to get Martin O'Neill in.

 

 

its not that bad

[smicer07]

Time to get Martin O'Neill in.

 

Yeah cos Villa are playing f***ing ace!

[Paul_LFC]

I agree Wayne. We just have no pattern to our play at all. We can't turn it on like the Mancs and Arsenal can. Our play is just bits and pieces, we don't play consistently good football for the duration of a match. We gave away the ball too much tonight. We only looked dangerous when Benayoun came on and passed it around, and it was obvious they were scared of Crouch.

 

We are playing in first gear at the moment and our defence looks a shambles.

[Gunga Din]

I'm right there with you mate.

 

Nobody looks like they want the ball. One free kick in the second half Riise was wide open but kept pointing for Carra to knock it to Sami. He's not the only one either, we look devoid of confidence...and if they wait to get it back, we won't.

even at the back, where we have probably the best defensive unit in the country, the amount of goals that are scored by lapses in concentration, silly penalties, and now the latest fad of oggies is mindblowing!

[Ethan]

Play the ressies in the UEFA Cup

[Redwire]

Time to get Martin O'Neill in.

 

Kev's nicked your log-in?

[Lark]

can i just add that i think kuyt and voronin are cack.

[AJ The Red]

I see this as more than a confidence crisis , something is wrong.

 

Did any player play well tonight? Surly even when we play s**** someone

must have a good game.Im finding it difficult to understand , im even

beginning to think Rafa has lost the players??But surly not , it boggles

the mind how poor we are at the moment.

 

No movement , noone wants the ball ,we cant pass 5 figgin yards and to top

it all everyone is trying hollywood passes instead of keeping it simple wtf??

[Bailo]

The movement is what gets me, we are so static and there's no running beyond the man. Number of times today we had players at the back with absolutely nothing on. Everyone seems lazy, no-one is breaking from anywhere. It's methodical, not flowing.

 

But you're right, we need to start from scratch. I'd have Arbeloa at CB until Agger is fit, then he can move to RB to replace the horrible Finnan. Masch and Alonso midfield, Gerrard and Yossi wide, Crouch and Torres for a bit. Voronin is in poor form and should be rested for as long as Babel disappeared for.

[alias75]

The back 5 hasnt changed much at all this season injuries to key players has meant we havent been able to change as much, i dont think you can use the excuse that the players arent used to playing together. The fact is our key players arent playing well and we're missing 3 very key players in terms of playing good passing football.

 

Think the basic problem is the players arent performing to a high enough level.

 

You'd hope they arent being coached not to move off the ball and hoof it long all the time so the blame has to rest to a large degree with the players.

 

You compare the way we've been playing with Arsenal and you wonder what the players are doing, if they arent comfortable taking a pass with men on them they shouldnt be playing for us.

 

I think its time to get rid of the hard workers, or keep them to maybe 1 or 2 in the team like Mascherano and lets pick those players that are comfortable in posession and dont mind receiving the ball under pressure.

Edited October 24, 2007 by alias75

[Guest Finnan3]

Play the ressies in the UEFA Cup

 

rather finish 4th than go into that tinpot trophy

[Gerrardrules]

No football intellegince at all today.

 

f***ing pissed off with Finnan as well. 1-0 down and a goal kick for Besiktas and Finnan doesn't throw the ball to their keeper and they can time waste.

[AJ The Red]

One more thing if Rafa doesnt come out and tell it like it is tonight my view on him is going to change

[Ethan]

Season is wrecked

[Rex Ham]

We're looking ropey all around the team, key players especially. Finnan's not himself, Carragher's a disaster waiting to happen, Sami is a disaster happening, Riise is well..Riise...Gerrards been s****..we've looked utterly clueless up front without Torres..something's broken and it doesn't look like it's going to get fixed anytime soon..

Edited October 24, 2007 by Rex Ham

[nb]

The "chopping and changing" that has affected the team are the changes made by necessity: The injuries to Agger, Alonso and Torres.

[nb]

The back 5 hasnt changed much at all this season injuries to key players has meant we havent been able to change as much, i dont think you can use the excuse that the players arent used to playing together. The fact is our key players arent playing well and we're missing 3 very key players in terms of playing good passing football.

 

Think the basic problem is the players arent performing to a high enough level.

 

You'd hope they arent being coached not to move off the ball and hoof it long all the time so the blame has to rest to a large degree with the players.

 

You compare the way we've been playing with Arsenal and you wonder what the players are doing, if they arent comfortable taking a pass with men on them they shouldnt be playing for us.

 

I think its time to get rid of the hard workers, or keep them to maybe 1 or 2 in the team like Mascherano and lets pick those players that are comfortable in posession and dont mind receiving the ball under pressure.

 

Good post.

[Earl Hafler]

The movement is what gets me, we are so static and there's no running beyond the man. Number of times today we had players at the back with absolutely nothing on. Everyone seems lazy, no-one is breaking from anywhere. It's methodical, not flowing.

 

But you're right, we need to start from scratch. I'd have Arbeloa at CB until Agger is fit, then he can move to RB to replace the horrible Finnan. Masch and Alonso midfield, Gerrard and Yossi wide, Crouch and Torres for a bit. Voronin is in poor form and should be rested for as long as Babel disappeared for.

 

I think that stems from training. No one seems to know what a colleague is going to do and there's little running off the ball or players offering themselves as an option for the player on the ball - Finnan gets the ball and everyone just stands still - Kuyt and Voronin just stand waiting for the perfect cross and the midfielders wait for the ball to be headed out to them.

 

The players don't look comfortable or familiar with each other - rotation and poor training.

[Guest Pedro]

I've held back and attempted to keep calm, but someone needs to shoot a rocket up Rafa's behind over all of this.

 

Rotation-frenzy galore in the media - I can generally turn a blind eye to it, but I fear Rafa still doesn't know his best side to be able to rotate about. And at least have an idea of what you want the team to do. It seems clueless at the moment.

 

A calm head in me says that any team would be missing Torres (we all knew we badly needed a finisher, our other strikers are not) and any team would be getting found out by having to play Sami for every game recently (he can't handle that, his days of that are long gone - legend that he has been in the past accepted), but there seems something else out of sorts here. It can't be Pako, can it really?

 

In many ways, I can live without the Champions league if I knew we are gonna be able to get a good assault on the league under way, but I'm having grave doubts.

 

All doom and gloom maybe, but I'm fearing a tanking at the weekend.

[AJ The Red]

Rotation shouldnt be a problem, your team should play to a system

then when players come in and out they all know whats going on.

 

How can players who play and train with each other for hours look

like strangers who dont move and make themselves available

for the pass,i find it incredible

[pt101]

We've been s**** since Pako left. Anyone who dismisses that as a possible reason for unrest amongst players is deluding themselves. The players loved him.

[Guest Finnan3]

I think that stems from training. No one seems to know what a colleague is going to do and there's little running off the ball or players offering themselves as an option for the player on the ball - Finnan gets the ball and everyone just stands still - Kuyt and Voronin just stand waiting for the perfect cross and the midfielders wait for the ball to be headed out to them.

 

The players don't look comfortable or familiar with each other - rotation and poor training.

 

Agree, I'd love to see what we actually do in training attacking wise.

 

Our whole game seems based on defense, but what happens when our defense has a bad game ala tonight?