Pleased with last night

[Andy @ Allerton]

Obviously a win would have been very nice - but looking at it objectively - every manager has bogey sides

 

So far - ours have been Man U and Brum.

 

Last season Brum beat us twice.

 

This season we have drawn twice.

 

That is progression - and only an unfortunate own goal and the intervention of the crossbar on a few occasions stood between us and a first win against them

 

Next season I think we'll win twice.

 

HURRAH!

[Hassony]

and again its one more point that we got last season

[Flasher]

The things that stood out for me were the 'Passion of Xabi' following the own goal, and Kewell's display. He's really finding his sharpness again.

 

Also, with Kewell, he is so good at protecting the ball and finding a pass (more often than not). His touch is brilliant.

 

Frustrating not to win, but as ever, it's not like we didn't create enough chances.

[Andy @ Allerton]

I think we played well enough to win

 

With a bit more luck we could have had a hatful

 

Overall we are looking better every game

 

The players looked absolutely gutted at the warmdown

[Eiler99]

As disappointing as the late own goal was, the performance over all was quite good. Kewell was great again, Agger had a solid debut, Fowler is back and looked lively, Morientes managed to turn a poor first half display into a very good second half and was involved in almost everything we created and our full backs looked very solid and came forward well. Gerrard, again, was all over the place. We deserved the win and were punished for not killing it off earlier, but I guess it was just one of those days. With a bit of luck Gerrard's free kick in the first half, Agger's header and Luis Garcia's miss when Mori put it on a plate for him would've made it 4-0. Instead if was 1-1. Frustrating but not much you can do about it.

[Mike]

they had 10 men for an hour, we only scored one goal and we looked dodgy at the back.

not happy with rafas team selection as we had a newbie at centre half and in hamann and garcia two players who hadn't played for ages.

[Flasher]

they had 10 men for an hour, we only scored one goal and we looked dodgy at the back.

not happy with rafas team selection as we had a newbie at centre half and in hamann and garcia two players who hadn't played for ages.

 

 

We've got the Chelsea game next though. No choice but to rotate a bit, do you not think?

[anny road]

they had 10 men for an hour, we only scored one goal and we looked dodgy at the back.

not happy with rafas team selection as we had a newbie at centre half and in hamann and garcia two players who hadn't played for ages.

 

 

they looked f***ed though Mike and have been for weeks now...He has to bring players in or whts the poirt in having them?

 

We looked dodgy at the back in the first 10 minutes and the last five.......which was admittedly shambolic....

 

Gerrard & Hamann in midfield and Garcia right wioth Kewell left is not pissing about with the team

 

And yes they had ten men, but second half we battered them.........

 

I dont think last night should be blown up out of proportion....look at the otehr results...it happens

 

last night was out 40th game

Edited February 2, 2006 by anny road

[Guest PaulMcC]

I don't think we played well but we just about done enough to win then f***ed it up with a stupid goal. Why didn't we go at them all game like we did when we conceded?

[Lee W]

not happy with rafas team selection as we had a newbie at centre half and in hamann and garcia two players who hadn't played for ages.

 

To be fair, that was probably the ideal game to blood Agger considering the quality of recent and upcoming opposition, and the boss was probably giving Hamann and Garcia some match fitness before the awful schedule we've got this month. They'll be much more rotation to come this month, I would imagine.

[CarraLegend]

They'll be much more rotation to come this month, I would imagine.

 

Definately, I can see Agger in and this time Hyypia getting a rest at Charlton next midweek. We might not have a choice but to rest a few against Utd, it is afterall 3rd priority behind the other two.

[Guest rickyjohn]

they looked f***ed though Mike and have been for weeks now...He has to bring players in or whts the poirt in having them?

 

We looked dodgy at the back in the first 10 minutes and the last five.......which was admittedly shambolic....

 

Gerrard & Hamann in midfield and Garcia right wioth Kewell left is not pissing about with the team

 

And yes they had ten men, but second half we battered them.........

 

I dont think last night should be blown up out of proportion....look at the otehr results...it happens

 

last night was out 40th game

 

I think its fair to say though given the circumstances and recent performance this could be seen as a rough patch. We've drawn with Bolton and Brum, lost to a very poor mancs side and scraped a couple of cup wins. far from disastrous but far from our good form we've shown prior to xmas. can't put my finger on it but we've gone in our shell a bit and dont take games to teams like we were. Maybe its tiredness, dont know.

[Swipe]

Was so annoyed last night. But suppose we've still made a point on United, and pushed ever so slightly ahead of arsenal and spurs.

 

Three points would have made for a very productive night though.

 

But we're such a strong team now. Lets hope we get something at chelsea.

[Guest BigChief]

Lots of positives from the game:

 

1) We'd been playing too many longballs previous to this game, but our passing is back to what it was during our purple patch

2) Robbie Fowler still knows where the goal is...:-)

3) Created 6 or 7 clear-ish cut chances

4) Are now able to start resting key players (Xabi, Gerrard, Carra)

5) Garcia is one match fitter - we need him more than people realise

6) Agger is one match more experienced

 

A few negatives too obviously, but there are so many positives that I am happy enough going into the Chelsea match.

[Cunny]

results like last night and Old Trafford despite dominating the game are liable to happen when we don't have a goalscorer worthy of the name

[Guz]

3 points would have made it the perfect night. Spurs, Arsenal, Mancs and Chelsea all dropping points.

[Guest Cardie]

How can anyone be pleased with dropping 2 points to relegation candidates who are down to 10 men?

Edited February 2, 2006 by Cardie

[Guest BigChief]

How can anyone be pleased with dropping 2 points to relegation candidates who are down to 10 men?

 

Real supporters looking for positives as opposed to results-oriented glory hunters. Easy.

[Case]

If Chelsea were seven or eight points ahead of us then last night would have cost us, big. But we've gained a point on Man U, and had the pleasure of seeing their reconstituted defence torn to shreads by a team with one fit striker. We also have two games in hand on them, and they'll lose two or three more before the end of the season.

 

So, lets take off the rose-tinted glasses and look at the facts - We're in an excellent position for second place, which would be a MASSIVE improvement on last year.

 

I was pissed off with us dropping a couple of points, but in my glass-half-full sort of way I cheered up when I heard what happened up the road.

 

And as for those saying we're looking tired? - I agree, but so are Chelsea, and ManU and Arsenal and even Spurs. It's the team that rotates effectively that will get the most out of the remainder of this season, and I like what Rafa is trying to do with resting the defenders - guys who, Left-Back excepted, haven't had a break in eight months.

[Moose]

This game reminded of when Portsmouth got a draw at Anfield last year. Aside from the own goal it was exactly the same script, I thought as much when Stevie scored.

[Guest Cardie]

Looking for the positives and being pleased with the result are entirely different things.

[Coyler]

This game reminded of when Portsmouth got a draw at Anfield last year. Aside from the own goal it was exactly the same script, I thought as much when Stevie scored.

I have to shoulder some of the bad-mental-vibes responsibility. Soon as your man Johnson was sent off I got The Fear.

[David Hodgson]

Please !!??

 

I came away as gutted as I was by the defeat at Old Trafford.

 

Of course we deserved to win the game, but we were not right last night, and we haven't been since the Bolton game.

[Bootle Buck]

I know I will probably get crucified but to me it looks like we are starting to play the way we did earlier this season and in a lot of games last season. We have lot's of possession but can't finish teams off. There seems like so many occasssions were we have 65% or more of the play but can't either finish a team off or stop them from getting back into the game. During our great run I had every confidence in us coming up with a goal and then getting the job done. In the last five games I haven't had that feeling. Even on Sunday with a 2-0 lead I never felt comfortbale and it seemsed like only a metter of time before they pulled one back. This game was very similar.

 

Let's hope we can get back on track on Sunday and start to play with the confidence and resiliance we had during our recent run of victories.

[fyds]

Please !!??

 

I came away as gutted as I was by the defeat at Old Trafford.

 

Of course we deserved to win the game, but we were not right last night, and we haven't been since the Bolton game.

No, but we were always going to have a sticky patch - and this is it. Many of our players have already played the best part of 40 games, travelled the world repeatedly and taken part in internationals, so we were always going to reach a point where we needed to draw breath and rotate a bit. If this is as bad as it gets it's a massive improvement don't you think?