Villa - post match
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Coutinho is a decent player. But nowhere near consistent enough to be a guaranteed starter.
I know we miss Suarez's raw ability, but we desperately miss his work rate and tenacity more than anything else. Something we are unlikely to get from Studge or Mario. Coutinho won't provide it, so it's done to Sterling or Lallana for me, if Henderson can't play further forward.
I know we miss Suarez's raw ability, but we desperately miss his work rate and tenacity more than anything else. Something we are unlikely to get from Studge or Mario. Coutinho won't provide it, so it's done to Sterling or Lallana for me, if Henderson can't play further forward.
I watched the last 70 minutes ...
* I don't get the posters calling for Lucas to play. What would have added that we were missing? Would he have stopped the goal? Would he have helped create anything? They came in to get a 1-0 or 0-0 and they go it. We weren't up to par for many reasons.
* I do agree with Fabio that Gerrard is becoming a problem ... and I just hope our team is big enough than one player to realize it.
* I like our current FBs
* I liked what I saw from Lallana - I think he'll offer us a lot.
* Mistake to rest Sterling ... not with Studge out.
* Balotelli will be fine ... but I think Rodgers need to protect him. He should have made a stink about Dier not getting a yellow for killing him last week, and the same thing for Senderos kicking out at him (although it seemed tame) and that HUtton tackle. If Rodgers mentions it ONCE, the refs will look at it a bit more e presto.
* Coutinho played better, but he reminds me of Gerrard vs Chelsea last year at Anfield ... That being said, he'll give us more if Studge and Sterling are on the pitch.
* Poor loss, but I'm not that down about it ... Let's get a nice win on Tuesday and start building again ...
* I don't get the posters calling for Lucas to play. What would have added that we were missing? Would he have stopped the goal? Would he have helped create anything? They came in to get a 1-0 or 0-0 and they go it. We weren't up to par for many reasons.
* I do agree with Fabio that Gerrard is becoming a problem ... and I just hope our team is big enough than one player to realize it.
* I like our current FBs
* I liked what I saw from Lallana - I think he'll offer us a lot.
* Mistake to rest Sterling ... not with Studge out.
* Balotelli will be fine ... but I think Rodgers need to protect him. He should have made a stink about Dier not getting a yellow for killing him last week, and the same thing for Senderos kicking out at him (although it seemed tame) and that HUtton tackle. If Rodgers mentions it ONCE, the refs will look at it a bit more e presto.
* Coutinho played better, but he reminds me of Gerrard vs Chelsea last year at Anfield ... That being said, he'll give us more if Studge and Sterling are on the pitch.
* Poor loss, but I'm not that down about it ... Let's get a nice win on Tuesday and start building again ...
Everything about the defence at set pieces is awful. I mean, at corners, why does one of our defenders stand behind another one, holding HIM? I mean, what on earth is that going to achieve?? Everything they do is reactive. The attackers basically dictate the position and movement of our defenders. They're manipulated from start to finish. The coaching staff really need to re-think the whole approach.
I'm quite positive about the rest of the team. It's just that horrible naivete at the back that needs changing.
I'm quite positive about the rest of the team. It's just that horrible naivete at the back that needs changing.
When we concede the first goal, we always struggle. Our best performances have come when we grab an early goal and destroy teams on the counter attack. Even last season, a sloppy start always produced a frustrating display of probing and sideways passing with little punch. Nowt new here. Think we missed a trick by resting Sterling though. A front line without SASAS is never going to be able to dig us out of another poor defensive display, and shambles of a goal conceded.
I was gutted and depressed after watching that. Really poor display by our team - every move forward was dragged out - yes Vila did put up a double decker bus in front of us but they have a team that conceded 4 goals against City last season in one half of the game last season and in no way are they world beaters. Our team this season has got to do better and move that ball faster in the final third.
The underlying problem seems to be a lack of drive up front from the strikers we have. Suarez was great for us not because of just the goals but the 100% he gave us up front by harassing the defenders and waiting for that one break each and nearly every game. The shame thing is that Sturridge has a little bit of that and we missed that today up front. I don't think Mario does that - and to be honest I have not seen him do that kind of harrying to opposition defenders for the other teams he has played for. Look at Chelsea's Costa - I don't think he has the finishing power of a Suarez as was seen in the world cup - but he certainly that ability to fight up front for his team creating the space and annoying the opposition defenders. Bottom line is - we need ENERGY up front not dopey slowness.
We have played 10% of the games for the season in PL and have lost so far 33% of the games we allowed to potentially (MAX) lose in a season to secure a title. This is not good. Wake up team !!!!
The only thing that will make me feel better is if United lose their game tomorrow.
The underlying problem seems to be a lack of drive up front from the strikers we have. Suarez was great for us not because of just the goals but the 100% he gave us up front by harassing the defenders and waiting for that one break each and nearly every game. The shame thing is that Sturridge has a little bit of that and we missed that today up front. I don't think Mario does that - and to be honest I have not seen him do that kind of harrying to opposition defenders for the other teams he has played for. Look at Chelsea's Costa - I don't think he has the finishing power of a Suarez as was seen in the world cup - but he certainly that ability to fight up front for his team creating the space and annoying the opposition defenders. Bottom line is - we need ENERGY up front not dopey slowness.
We have played 10% of the games for the season in PL and have lost so far 33% of the games we allowed to potentially (MAX) lose in a season to secure a title. This is not good. Wake up team !!!!
The only thing that will make me feel better is if United lose their game tomorrow.
Yes, but it's no good having this energy up front if, like today, you have dopey slowness in midfield. All that will give you is shagged out strikers with no chances. It's all connected. The energy, speed and movement has to be all through the team. It was a team issue today.
We needed another midfielder in there. Rodgers obviously doesnt rate lucas. We missed allen badly. Can would have done but it was the same exact problem as last year. We lost it in midfield because coutinho can't play as a proper midfielder and rodgers should know it
Weirdly, we really missed Johnson today. He's shit at defending and prefers walking to running yeah but he's great at overlapping and neither fullback did well with that today. Its key to rodgers style of play
This wasn't all that of a bad performance,
We just ran out of ideas in the last third.
We best get used to this approach from teams that feel lucky to be on the same pitch.
Markovič wasn't shit - but he's not going to be the guy that blows us away with his talent this year. It's going to have to be a Henderson type development with that lad.
Lallana is going to be excellent for us.
We just ran out of ideas in the last third.
We best get used to this approach from teams that feel lucky to be on the same pitch.
Markovič wasn't shit - but he's not going to be the guy that blows us away with his talent this year. It's going to have to be a Henderson type development with that lad.
Lallana is going to be excellent for us.
This is what is going wrong with Coutinho. This season he has played so deep, he is in Gerrard's territory. Coutinho belongs in the opposition half, slotting brilliantly-weighted balls through for the forwards to run on to. I don't know whether Rodgers has told him to play deep, whether he has decided to play this way himself, or whether he is being forced back by opponents playing a high line.
Hahahahahaha.
The performance was bad, and slow. It was f*cking boring and very little urgency from our team.
Markovic - reminds me so far of ... Smicer
As for running out of ideas - we showed very few ideas because we seem to have a mental block when faced with 4-6 defenders in the final third. It's like:-
'Oh Shit - what do I do... I know I will pass sideways or hold on ... I am going to shoot to the moon'
Need to sort their heads out and fight like champions.
Overall.
I'd take this a bit further ... it starts from the back where we are a bit slow to move the ball forward or from side to side which has to be done at pace to stretch teams out. At times it was like watching paint dry yesterday.
I think it was the later yesterday Portly. He couldn't get onto the ball in the areas he can do the most damage so dropped deeper, however that is also the ideal position for him to go on his slalom runs taking out 2-3 players and creating panic and spaces ... which I haven't seen him do for a while now.
That is what we need against teams sitting with banks of 4-4 or 5-4 as per yesterday. I'm not sure if that is BR training it out of him so as not to lose possession, which he will do 2 out of 3 times he tries it, or whether it's him becoming more cautious. We seem to be scared of trying those chancy but creative movements because we'll lose the ball .... which is not always a bad thing for a team that plays so well on the break. We seem to have moved back to BR's first season of possession at all costs.
I don't think there was a huge amount wrong with the nature of the passing (aside, as you say, from the CBs). If the speed of passing had been brisker the penetration would certainly have been greater. Coutinho, obviously, was coming far too deep for the ball, and was then facing a congested area by which he often seemed baffled, but I was pleased by the greater patience shown in possession compared to the City game. The pace, though, is crucial. Everything was far, far too laboured and pedestrian.
We didn't learn anything we didn't already know yesterday. That was just a good example of one of our ineffective performances against a well organised opposition.
Mignolet went for crosses when he shouldn't and didn't when he should.
Moreno and Manquillo will both be fine but they need to get up to the speed of the PL. They have all of the attributes but they're not going to be given the time on the ball or the time to the ball that they are familiar with.
Sakho again looked like an accident waiting to happen. I'm really not sure who should be first choice partner to Lovren.
As for the elephant in the room, I've made my thoughts on a Gerrard's place in the team known elsewhere on the forum. You cannot compensate for his defensive inadequacies by sticking somebody alongside him. All that does is weaken what is ahead of him. Henderson was played far too deep in the first half and our second half improvement came when he pushed on. No, the answer to the Gerrard situation isn't to protect him it's to replace him. I've got no doubt he could still do a job behind the strikers but he's not going to be given that chance now. We're carrying him in the side now and it's desperately sad to see.
Coutinho put in a shift alright but was again very wasteful. Lallana showed glimpses of why I think he's the pick of our summer signings. He's going to be great for us but not in the same side as Coutinho...it has to be one or the other and Lallana gets the nod from me.
Markovic was very poor. Again I've said another thread that I just don't see what many of you guys do in this fella. He's this season's Luis Alberto and this time next year will be put on loan to some mid-table La Liga side.
Balotelli just looked off the pace. Hopefully that's just because he's had the shits. I thought he did well not to overreact to some of the stick he was taking from their defenders. Good times ahead for Mario of that I'm sure.
How we missed Sturridge and Sterling (until he came on) yesterday. The team lacked individual and collective pace. Everything that was good about last season...the tempo, the speed of incisive passing...was missing. We had so much of the ball but it just looked like everyone was waiting for somebody else to do something with it.
Things I don't want to see again...
Gerard in that role.
Henderson deployed too deep...it's such a waste of one of our main men.
Coutinho and Lallana in the same side.
Markovic in a PL starting 11.
Mignolet went for crosses when he shouldn't and didn't when he should.
Moreno and Manquillo will both be fine but they need to get up to the speed of the PL. They have all of the attributes but they're not going to be given the time on the ball or the time to the ball that they are familiar with.
Sakho again looked like an accident waiting to happen. I'm really not sure who should be first choice partner to Lovren.
As for the elephant in the room, I've made my thoughts on a Gerrard's place in the team known elsewhere on the forum. You cannot compensate for his defensive inadequacies by sticking somebody alongside him. All that does is weaken what is ahead of him. Henderson was played far too deep in the first half and our second half improvement came when he pushed on. No, the answer to the Gerrard situation isn't to protect him it's to replace him. I've got no doubt he could still do a job behind the strikers but he's not going to be given that chance now. We're carrying him in the side now and it's desperately sad to see.
Coutinho put in a shift alright but was again very wasteful. Lallana showed glimpses of why I think he's the pick of our summer signings. He's going to be great for us but not in the same side as Coutinho...it has to be one or the other and Lallana gets the nod from me.
Markovic was very poor. Again I've said another thread that I just don't see what many of you guys do in this fella. He's this season's Luis Alberto and this time next year will be put on loan to some mid-table La Liga side.
Balotelli just looked off the pace. Hopefully that's just because he's had the shits. I thought he did well not to overreact to some of the stick he was taking from their defenders. Good times ahead for Mario of that I'm sure.
How we missed Sturridge and Sterling (until he came on) yesterday. The team lacked individual and collective pace. Everything that was good about last season...the tempo, the speed of incisive passing...was missing. We had so much of the ball but it just looked like everyone was waiting for somebody else to do something with it.
Things I don't want to see again...
Gerard in that role.
Henderson deployed too deep...it's such a waste of one of our main men.
Coutinho and Lallana in the same side.
Markovic in a PL starting 11.
It's a bit early to be laying into Markovic, but I've voiced concerns about him from the off, I said I didn't think he looked cut for the Premiership and it will at least be a long bedding in period, what I have seen of him I was never particularly overawed with either, but it's early days and he deserves time to come good.
You're right about Gerrard, though I don't think yesterday was one of his worse games, he certainly wasn't that culpable defensively, but the midfield just looks more and more disjointed with him in it, it looks unbalanced and ideally we should see Henderson, with one of Allen/Can in behind and then Lallana and Coutinho can scrap it out for the attacking berth. Rodgers has to grow some on this note.
Sakho, I don't get the faith he's getting, he just doesn't look comfortable enough for me, he's a catastrophe waiting to happen and Lovren is hardly inspiring great confidence either tbf. The one incident that Sakho had to deal with was a complete mess that could have ended badly, but for the ball bobbling around and eventually going out of play. One of these days someone is going to cut him up big time and he'll get exposed for what he is.
You're right about Gerrard, though I don't think yesterday was one of his worse games, he certainly wasn't that culpable defensively, but the midfield just looks more and more disjointed with him in it, it looks unbalanced and ideally we should see Henderson, with one of Allen/Can in behind and then Lallana and Coutinho can scrap it out for the attacking berth. Rodgers has to grow some on this note.
Sakho, I don't get the faith he's getting, he just doesn't look comfortable enough for me, he's a catastrophe waiting to happen and Lovren is hardly inspiring great confidence either tbf. The one incident that Sakho had to deal with was a complete mess that could have ended badly, but for the ball bobbling around and eventually going out of play. One of these days someone is going to cut him up big time and he'll get exposed for what he is.
With the exception of already having my mind made up about Markovic, I'd agree with all of that Mark.
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