Mascherano Sub and Rafa

[Shanklyanfield]

because that can be the only reason Rafa took him off!! He was by far our best player and if it was a tactical decision to take him off and leave the once again ineffective lucas on the pitch then I give up with Rafa!!

 

Today we started well got our noses in-front (should have had a pen as well) but the way we came out 2nd half can only be because of the manager! We sat back trying to hang on to a 1-0 lead once again!

 

I'm getting tired of this defensive approach from Rafa, at the end of last season he seemed to let the players off the leash and attach teams. This season he's gone back to his defensive mentality.

 

Last season in the 4-4, even with 30 seconds left I thought we might win the game, as soon as Arsenal got the 2nd I wasn't expecting us to win at all! How many shots on target in the 2nd half from us - 2 if we where lucky - simply not good enough!

[Cunny]

I don't think he recovered properly from the knock he got first half.

Plus he'd been booked.

I didn't have a big problem with that sub.

Edited December 13, 2009 by Cunny

[FC Showster]

because that can be the only reason Rafa took him off!! He was by far our best player and if it was a tactical decision to take him off and leave the once again ineffective lucas on the pitch then I give up with Rafa!!

 

Today we started well got our noses in-front (should have had a pen as well) but the way we came out 2nd half can only be because of the manager! We sat back trying to hang on to a 1-0 lead once again!

 

I'm getting tired of this defensive approach from Rafa, at the end of last season he seemed to let the players off the leash and attach teams. This season he's gone back to his defensive mentality.

 

Last season in the 4-4, even with 30 seconds left I thought we might win the game, as soon as Arsenal got the 2nd I wasn't expecting us to win at all! How many shots on target in the 2nd half from us - 2 if we where lucky - simply not good enough!

 

The Song challenge on Masch was as much a game changer as any pass. He had them in his pocket up until that point but wasn't the same afterwards and I think he had to go off

[Shanklyanfield]

Mascherano in plaster would have been more effective than lucas on the pitch today! but for some reason rafa has got this bee in his bonnet at the moment that lucas will start and finish every match!

 

The press and a lot of the fans said lucas wasn't good enough at the beginning of the season and rafa (a bit like GH at the end of his reign) for me is playing Lucas just to try and prove a point, this is the reason we haven't seen as much of aqua and it might cost rafa his job!

[Zoob]

I'm getting tired of this defensive approach from Rafa, at the end of last season he seemed to let the players off the leash and attach teams. This season he's gone back to his defensive mentality.

 

You're tired of Rafa's defensive approach yet you're critical because he took off a defensive midfielder and put on a more attacking one?

[Maldini]

Seriously? I thought he was MOTM

[Shanklyanfield]

You're tired of Rafa's defensive approach yet you're critical because he took off a defensive midfielder and put on a more attacking one?

 

I'm critical because he took our best player off the pitch and left on the other "defensive midfielder" (lucas) who was contributing absolutely nothing to the game!!!!

[Shanklyanfield]

Seriously? I thought he was MOTM

 

you thought who was MOTM?

[Ed the Wool]

Mascherano in plaster would have been more effective than lucas on the pitch today! but for some reason rafa has got this bee in his bonnet at the moment that lucas will start and finish every match!

 

The press and a lot of the fans said lucas wasn't good enough at the beginning of the season and rafa (a bit like GH at the end of his reign) for me is playing Lucas just to try and prove a point, this is the reason we haven't seen as much of aqua and it might cost rafa his job!

 

Lucas played well today. Can only remember one bad pass. There's half a dozen players, including Gerrard, Carragher and Kuyt that are way ahead of him in the under performing stakes. With SG I think it's down to injury. The rest of them f*** knows.

[Beardsley]

Lucas was very good first half, but crap (as everybody else) in the second.

 

Think Rafa took Masch off because of his booking (and maybe an injury???).

[Zoob]

you thought who was MOTM?

 

I actually thought he was too. I know Lucas provokes polarised views, but I thought he was excellent today. He (and to be fair Mascherano too) are both in the top 5 in the prem for succesful tackles and passes, and Lucas today was excellent on the ball, and tried to get forward to support our attack too.

[Maldini]

you thought who was MOTM?

 

Lucas, everyone was s*** in the second, but in the first he won loads of tackles, especially high up the pitch, and his passing was much quicker and incisive.

 

I mean our MOTM by the way.

Edited December 13, 2009 by Maldini

[Mike]

Lucas was very good first half, but crap (as everybody else) in the second.

 

Think Rafa took Masch off because of his booking (and maybe an injury???).

 

lucas was alright in the first half, appalling in the second.

masch wasn't injured, he sat down on the bench. he had an awesome game.

 

it's just s***. someone make it stop.

[Shanklyanfield]

I must watch a different game if people think that Lucas was MOTM! He contributed nothing going forward and didn't destroy Arsenal's attack like Masch did! We lost all our shape once Masch went off!

[Mike]

lucas was pathetic in the second half, arsenals midfield were literally walking past him in the rare occasions he was close to them.

 

we simply can not win games with that level of performance in the middle.

Edited December 13, 2009 by Mike

[crisps]

Not a Lucas rant but with Gerrard and Mascherano on the pitch, we really shouldnt need a deep pair of centre midfielders who have about a ten yard passing range and lack creativity goals and assists, it leaves a huge gap from centre mid to up front hence why we barely create anything and seeing as Kuyt is probably playin as bad as he was in season 2 it's not going to help things, Rafa's own stubborness and favouritsm is really starting to f**k things up and the bad thing is, I don't ever see him changing.

[Zoob]

lucas was pathetic in the second half, arsenals midfield were literally walking past him in the rare occasions he was close to them.

 

we simply can not win games with that level of performance in the middle.

 

Our whole team were pathetic in the second half. Arsenal's entire team were literally walking past our players all over the pitch.

[Mike]

Not a Lucas rant but with Gerrard and Mascherano on the pitch, we really shouldnt need a deep pair of centre midfielders who have about a ten yard passing range and lack creativity goals and assists, it leaves a huge gap from centre mid to up front hence why we barely create anything and seeing as Kuyt is probably playin as bad as he was in season 2 it's not going to help things, Rafa's own stubborness and favouritsm is really starting to f**k things up and the bad thing is, I don't ever see him changing.

 

mascherano is a 10 times the player lucas is, they shouldn't be bracketed together.

 

in terms of rafa, i think he's doing a good impression of someone who wants to get the sack. our run, if it wasn't already, has become unacceptable. if it continues, i can see him out of a job come the jan transfer window.

[pipnasty]

I thought Lucas was about our best player today. Yossi, on the other hand, was absolutely appalling.

[Mike]

I thought Lucas was about our best player today. Yossi, on the other hand, was absolutely appalling.

 

you couldn't have been at anfield. it's impossible.

[crisps]

mascherano is a 10 times the player lucas is, they shouldn't be bracketed together.

 

in terms of rafa, i think he's doing a good impression of someone who wants to get the sack. our run, if it wasn't already, has become unacceptable. if it continues, i can see him out of a job come the jan transfer window.

 

Yeah I agree, the thing with Lucas is that he's not an s**** player, he's just not a very good one, I'm just not sure what he offers, he's just average at best at everything and he's almost playing the 'heartbeat' role of the team and its showing that he is way out of his depth...

 

With Rafa, I don't really care if he's here or not anymore, there's not many great replacements that we're aware of but surely a new guy may give the team a lift and renew confidence, if Mcleish can get Birmingham on the same amount of points as us, then there's majorly something wrong.

[Bailo]

you couldn't have been at anfield. it's impossible.

Lucas was excellent first half, poor second. Like the rest of the team really, with the exception of Yossi and Dirk (fair play for the goal mind), who stunk throughout.

[Earl Hafler]

I don't think he recovered properly from the knock he got first half.

Plus he'd been booked.

I didn't have a big problem with that sub.

 

Nor me. It was the correct sub

[Falconhoof]

Lucas MOTM ?

Sick of hearing about how well either Lucas or Mascherano have played, we've bossed nothing.

This season we've bottled it in midfield time and time again.

Mascherano has been adequate recently, but over the season our mainstays Kuyt, Mscherano, Lucas have been poor as a unit.

[Mike]

Lucas was excellent first half, poor second. Like the rest of the team really, with the exception of Yossi and Dirk (fair play for the goal mind), who stunk throughout.

 

excellent? you wouldn't know excellent if it bummed you.