10 draws in the League

[Jim D]

I think those draws tells us everything about our attacking play in the final third of the pitch. Our defence is fine but going forward we lack any creativity, intelligence or imagination in our play.

 

Time and time again, if we go into a game and our attacking play is just "decent" we would have come away with three points no problems at all. Can't believe how many times this season we've dropped two points and still Rafa cannot see what is wrong. Our wide men just aren't good enough, they have limited ability as an attacking force and Kuyt the poor sod is being flogged as a dead horse.

 

Just to show how much these draws have restricted us this season, the bitters are 2 points ahead of us despite losing five more games than us and the Mancs have lost more games than us and are still way ahead. I feel sorry for Crouch because he should have been on sooner, the lad has kept his head down and just got on with it. Pops up tonight and produces a clinical finish.

 

We need more consistency upfront in terms of personnel because right now chopping and changing the wide men and the front men is not working, we've got no fluidity at all going forward and its leading to a total lack of imagination in our attacking play. Just so frustrating, the difference between us challenging for the title and being with the also rans for 4th place has been our inability to convert draws into wins.

 

Our record at Anfield this season is really poor, only 4 wins all season so far and the draws keep stacking up, that is now six out of 11 played. Our record on the road has improved but our home form has taken a turn for the worse this season.

 

Draws this season in the league:

 

Chelsea (H) 1-1

Portsmouth (A) 0-0

Birmingham (H) 0-0

Spurs (H) 2-2

Arsenal (H) 1-1

Blackburn (A) 0-0

Man City (A) 0-0

Wigan (H) 1-1

Middlesbrough (A) 1-1

Aston Villa (H) 2-2

 

Depressing reading that list, criminally dropped two points in a lot of those games.

Edited January 21, 2008 by Jim D

[Guest Si]

and how many of those fecking games did we score first in?

[Guest Ant]

The Positive:

 

Losses into Draws

 

The Negative:

 

Wins into Draws or Draws into draws :S

[Gunga Din]

Chelsea, Spurs, Wigan Arsenal and villa all games we scored first and didnt win. 10 points dropped. add that to the woeful performances against Brum and Reading away, both games we really ought to be winning, another 5. 15 more points we should have but dont. sickening

Edited January 21, 2008 by big wayne

[sutty]

I'm exasperated by this

 

I do not understand how this is happening so consistantly

[Gunga Din]

I'm exasperated by this

 

I do not understand how this is happening so consistantly

 

i'll tell you. too much rotation, no movement and penetration in the final 3rd. maybe someday before the end of the season the penny will drop with you.

[RafaShanks]

and how many of those fecking games did we score first in?

 

All of them apart from Boro.

 

We are the new Fulham.

[alias75]

think the problem is the attacking options we have arent good enough anyway even if there was a more consistent selection. None of our wide players except maybe Babel (id play Gerrard on the right but we wont start that one again) are good enough. We don't get enough goals or assists from our wide players, they dont pose enough of an attacking threat. Up front Torres is having to carry the team and while Crouch is probably best of the rest hes still been poor this season.

 

Most games this season we've been the better team but not taken enough of the chances we've created that is always likely to bite you in this league. Maybe the manager could be more positive but i think if you look at the stats we have more attempts on goal than anyone, that doesnt tell the whole story but it suggests we're attacking enough to win these games just with not enough quality.

Edited January 21, 2008 by alias75

[lawrie]

Our defence is not holding as well as it has and we are starting to concede from set plays. Having said that today we were very unlucky, the players deserve credit for giving their all under difficult circumstances.

[lfc003]

mentally our players seem to weak

[Ginu]

This season has become a complete write off. We've had to deal with so much off the field nonsense since November and that coincidentally started the same time that our form dropped off. You know it's easy for players to ignore those issues for a week or two, but at a point it becomes far too hard to perform at the expected level. Most of our players are fans of the club first and foremost and, thus, they feel exactly what those on these boards feel with regards to the ownership of the club. Consider the extra pressure that comes with being a fan of the club and having to perform for the club under this cloud of uncertainty. Mix that with bedding in our new young players (Babel, Lucas, etc.), the uncertainty about Mascherano's future and Kuyt playing like an inept Cisse, this season needs to be forgotten.

 

We need a change and fast so that we can start preparing for next season. The champion's league is what we have to excel in for the remainder of this season.

[Gunga Din]

Our defence is not holding as well as it has and we are starting to concede from set plays.

 

maybe something to do with the fact that our full backs are now changing on game by game basis?

[MFletcher]

i'll tell you. too much rotation, no movement and penetration in the final 3rd. maybe someday before the end of the season the penny will drop with you.

 

The front six were all in the team for the "big" games this season - Marseille, United. They've also played together at Portsmouth. Mascherano and Gerrard have played together in central midifeld many times, as have Kuyt and Torres. Sami and Carra picks itself at the back.

 

Arbeloa and Aurelio as attacking full backs in a 4-4-2 at home? No problem there.

 

So what was the problem with the team? It's not as if any of the combinations have not played together before is it? It's not like we've thrown eleven lads off the street into the team. Aurelio/Kewell down the left, Arbeloa/Benayoun down the right have all played together on many occasions as have the partnerships in the spine of the team. The back have played together on many occasions, as have the midfield in front of them.

 

Rotation the problem? My a***.

[Swipe]

maybe something to do with the fact that our full backs are now changing on game by game basis?

 

Yep. One of Rafa's more preposterous moves, IMO.

[Will]

i'll tell you. too much rotation, no movement and penetration in the final 3rd. maybe someday before the end of the season the penny will drop with you.

1 - tripe

2 - yes

3 - yes

[Gunga Din]

The front six were all in the team for the "big" games this season - Marseille, United. They've also played together at Portsmouth. Mascherano and Gerrard have played together in central midifeld many times, as have Kuyt and Torres. Sami and Carra picks itself at the back.

 

Arbeloa and Aurelio as attacking full backs in a 4-4-2 at home? No problem there.

 

So what was the problem with the team? It's not as if any of the combinations have not played together before is it? It's not like we've thrown eleven lads off the street into the team. Aurelio/Kewell down the left, Arbeloa/Benayoun down the right have all played together on many occasions as have the partnerships in the spine of the team. The back have played together on many occasions, as have the midfield in front of them.

 

Rotation the problem? My a***.

 

ok, you're clearly right.

 

playing together half a dozen times is better than playing together 20 times.

 

its not about groups of 2's and 3's playing together a few times. its about eleven playing regularly together so that they play as a "team", and not small groups of individuals

[meepins]

I'm exasperated by this

 

I do not understand how this is happening so consistantly

Lot of players who aren't good enough.It sounds too simplistic but thats the way it is. Playing at Liverpool which is meant to be the elite team, they are expected to be among the best players and they can't fulfill that expectation.

Edited January 21, 2008 by meepins

[Gunga Din]

1 - tripe

2 - yes

3 - yes

 

 

i'd be more worried if you agreed with me

[HK]

i'll tell you. too much rotation, no movement and penetration in the final 3rd. maybe someday before the end of the season the penny will drop with you.

That's not true.

Movement is good today. Our approach play is varied and we created plenty of chances. It is our finishing that led us down.

We played villa off the park. However, three shots from villa resulted in two goals plus Marlon Harewood scoring. You can't half make up this stuff.

[Guest RedLegend]

i'll tell you. too much rotation, no movement and penetration in the final 3rd. maybe someday before the end of the season the penny will drop with you.

 

Agreed.

[Gunga Din]

That's not true.

Movement is good today. Our approach play is varied and we created plenty of chances. It is our finishing that led us down.

We played villa off the park. However, three shots from villa resulted in two goals plus Marlon Harewood scoring. You can't half make up this stuff.

 

it comes across a lot different on the telly mate. when you are there watching it and you see the lack of movement in the final 3rd its very very obvious

[Will]

i'd be more worried if you agreed with me

I'd say 2 out of 3 is basically agreeing with you, but feel free to use your own maths

[Guest RedLegend]

That's not true.

Movement is good today. Our approach play is varied and we created plenty of chances.

 

What were these chances?

 

We had a couple of half-chances. That's it. Torres putting one over the bar on the turn. Kewell's shot at the keeper. Kuyt miscontrolling and shooting wide. None of which were clear chances.

[Ginu]

What were these chances?

 

We had a couple of half-chances. That's it. Torres putting one over the bar on the turn. Kewell's shot at the keeper. Kuyt miscontrolling and shooting wide. None of which were clear chances.

 

Kuyt's was a clear chance if there has ever been one. The fact he f*cked up his first touch ruined it. It was definitely a FULL chance.

[Eskimo]

ok, you're clearly right.

 

playing together half a dozen times is better than playing together 20 times.

 

its not about groups of 2's and 3's playing together a few times. its about eleven playing regularly together so that they play as a "team", and not small groups of individuals

 

So what about training? Or do you think Rafa that stubborn that he doesn't rotate players in training?