Anfield

[Jim D]

This is now starting to get extremely worrying, if you take all of our home draws this season:

 

Sunderland 1-1

Norwich 1-1

Mancs 1-1

Swansea 0-0

 

all four games have been eerily similar in how they've panned out. A bright start followed by our inability to convert the chances we make, go into half time frustrated but knowing we are in control of the game. Come out for the 2nd half and immediately we look clueless, opposition get their tails up, start to see massive gaps all over the park, opposition players allowed to run at the back 4 with ease up to the edge of our area. Midfield is non-existent, we start to look shaky at the back and loose our cool, then the opposition get their goal and for the last ten mins in all four games we start to play again and apply pressure. Only due to some brilliant saves by the goalkeeper and our inability to finish do we fail to nick a winner.

 

That pretty much describes all of the four games above and it is actually scary it follows the same pattern of play. There is something seriously wrong when we play at home and I can't quite figure out what it is. Is it Kenny's tactics, his ability to change his tactics or are certain players not fighting hard enough in the 2nd half of games and just simply going through the motions? This needs to be rectified soon or we can kiss the top 4 goodbye, the same mistakes are being made over and over again, Kenny and Clarke need to go away and analyze these four games in particular and work out why we go to s*** at the start of the 2nd half.

If we have any ambitions of getting back into the top 4 then Anfield needs to become a fortress, I just don't think the players we have at the moment have the mental strength to achieve this.

Edited November 5, 2011 by Jim D

[Epic Swindle]

Teams come and sit back in numbers, it's not easy.

[Flight]

Today (Swansea) was the worst for me. We battered the mancs, except for a 15-20 minute period. We would have beaten Sunderland and Norwich but for woeful defending.

 

 

Kenny deserves more time and our patience. But his reluctance (inability ?) to change things mid match is a concern.

 

 

 

Worth considering that we can play a lot further up the pitch with Agger in the team instead of Carra and we aren't used to it - the players don't know what to do half the time. Maybe they just need to get used to pressing further up for more of the 90 ?

Edited November 5, 2011 by Flight

[Cooldude]

The issue before was the finishing, the issue today is not even creating much at all until the last 10 mins.

 

We really don't have enough quality in the final third if Suarez isn't doing it all

[Epic Swindle]

Today (Swansea) was the worst for me. We battered the mancs, except for a 15-20 minute period. We would have beaten Sunderland and Norwich but for woeful defending.

 

 

Kenny deserves more time and our patience. But his reluctance (inability ?) to change things mid match is a concern.

 

He brought Kuyt on at HT. At least we're giving him time though.

[Flight]

He brought Kuyt on at HT. At least we're giving him time though.

 

 

 

You're suggesting we played better second half ? I thought we were much worse.

[Epic Swindle]

You said he doesn't change things mid game, and he did.

[Cooldude]

Most of the problems today was in midfield. They never grab hold of the game at any stage, not enough tempo

[Jim D]

The issue before was the finishing, the issue today is not even creating much at all until the last 10 mins.

 

We really don't have enough quality in the final third if Suarez isn't doing it all

 

I think tactics could be the major issue here rather than the players, I don't think 4-4-2 is working, if Downing etc aren't producing the goods on the wing then it leaves our central midfielders terribly exposed. Kenny is trying to recreate his 80s team but I think tactics play a much more important role in the modern game. Adam and Lucas in central midfield is not working neither can bust a gut to join the attack to support the front men. I think we need to go back to the Rafa era 4-2-3-1 with the players we have.

[Flight]

You said he doesn't change things mid game, and he did.

 

 

 

Pretty clear what I meant. As in changing things so we play better instead of worse.

 

 

 

Did you think we played better second half ?

[Cobs]

actually thought there was too much tempo at times today. Bit more composure was required. Someone to put their foot on it and calm things down. We seemed to continually rush crosses or through balls (that Enrique effort at the end was a classic but Downing was guilty too).

 

 

Missing Gerrard massively. Defence was all over the shop today too - something all the CarraOut merchants haven't mentioned yet.

 

Was concenring that we got over-run for 15 minutes in the middle of that 2nd half and Kenny didn't seem to do anything to stem the tide.

 

 

 

Having said all that we still should have won, AGAIN! Still having problems putting that ball in the onion bag - and it's very frustrating but i would say Swansea were better value for their point today than Norwich or Man U.

[FakeNewsBear]

Adam is really not doing anything for me at the moment, seems to lack everythingby just a little, not enough pace, vision and setpieces/passing looks v. average

[Davvo]

Pretty clear what I meant. As in changing things so we play better instead of worse.

 

 

 

Did you think we played better second half ?

 

I think you might need to read this back.

 

You quite clearly stated he was reluctant/incapable of changing things at half time. You can't have been talking about whether such moves were successful or not, or you wouldn't have used the word reluctant. Unless you think he's reluctant to change things for the better ?

[aka Dus]

Get the chequebook out JWH. We need to sub off Anfield for the next home fixture and be playing in the Standard Chartered Carlsberg Toyota Bowl.

[Epic Swindle]

Have we won a game in front of the watching JWH yet?

[Foxtrot]

We would have beaten Sunderland and Norwich but for woeful defending.

 

And we could've lost today if not for great work from Pepe. Sunderland and Norwich the performances were equally bad and following exactly the pattern as pointed out by Jim D. I said in another thread that the pattern of our performance over 90 minutes reminds of Ged's final season: if not in front after 30 minutes we're not likely to score. And if not two up by half time we're not likely to win.